The Case of Mary Jane Skyler
by Madman007
Summary: The continuing story of how Mara Jade wakes up in another woman's body on Earth and her investigation of how the woman was sent into a coma one Earth year ago.
1. Prologue

**The Case of Mary Jane Skyler**

_**Prologue**_

It had been four weeks since Mara Jade Skywalker found herself inside the comatose body of a woman on Earth. Mara had learned that she had been placed there after her death in her own galaxy by powers unknown. The reasoning behind this placement seemed to be so that Mara could help Mary out of her coma and get on with her life. Mara's reward thereafter was to return to her own galaxy in some capacity. If it meant she could speak to her husband, Luke, and her son, Ben, as a Force spirit then she would accept it.

A few weeks ago, Mara had been visited by the anthropomorphic being known as Death, but to her she was Didi. She had explained all of this to Mara, but the details of the encounter were fading away from her memory over the past weeks. What Didi did not fully explain was how Mara was to awake Mary from her coma. Didi left her the hint that Mara should investigate further into what exactly happened at the stable where Mary's coma began an Earth year ago.

There were only a few outsiders in Mobile, Alabama who did know that Mara was the true possessor of Mary's body at the moment. There was Benjamin, Mary's son, who sometimes liked to be called Spike. Emma Skyler, Mary's mother, had also known. Deke Werner was Mary's boss at the nightclub she worked at. He had figured she was not Mary from their first meeting. There was also Annie, Mary's best friend and fellow Dead Head, who knew. And Mary's dim-witted ex-husband, Luke Wallace, was the very first to know she was not Mary. Add to that list a group of thugs from a gang that Deke had dealt with knew of Mara Jade's wrath. Mara wanted to keep the list of people who knew her true name to be minimal in numbers.

The one person to whom Mara desperately needed to speak with was comatose. Just had it been since Mara awoke in Mary's body, there had been silence from Mary herself. Mara even remembered in the beginning that she thought she was Mary. It wasn't until a drug-induced hallucinogenic session with the so-called Doctor Steve Markham when Mara remembered everything about her life in her galaxy. It was also at that time when Mary actually did awake for a few chilling moments.

_Don't touch me!_

Mary had been silent since then.

Until four weeks later while Mara headed for work on a rainy late afternoon, she would discover that music and song were strong inhibitors of awareness.


	2. Ghosts and Goodfellas

**Part 1**

_Walk into splintered sunlight,_

_Inch your way through dead dreams to another land._

_Maybe you're tired and broken,_

_Your tongue is twisted with words half spoken _

_and thoughts unclear_

_What do you want me to do, _

_to do for you to see you through?_

_A box of rain will ease the pain, _

_and love will see you through._

_And its just a box of rain, I don't know who put it there,_

_Believe it if you need it, or leave it if you dare._

_And its just a box of rain, or a ribbon for your hair;_

_Such a long, long time to be gone, and a short time to be there. +  
_

Mara quickly, yet carefully, put on the brakes of Mary's black Mustang during the rain when she started hearing a voice inside her head singing along with the Grateful Dead song that was playing in the car. She pulled onto the secondary road of Airport Boulevard and into the parking lot of a small strip mall. She parked and shut off the engine.

Mara called out within the empty car, "Hello?"

There was a weak voice inside her head that replied, (Hello.)

The voice had a Southern twang to its accent. It was timid and shy which was an opposite effect when it was singing. Mara gently called out from inside the car, "Mary?"

(Yes, ma'am. That's my name.)

"Uh...are you awake now?"

(I'm answering you, ain't I?)

"It sure sounds like it. Though, if you were truly awake, why can I only hear you in my mind?"

(_Our_ mind. And Hell if I know that. I ain't the scientist here.)

"Me neither. So...I guess...how are you?"

(I feel strange. I can see things through my eyes but I'm not really there. Did that make a lick of sense?)

"I think we can rule out any form of sense in our situation."

(You're Mara Jade, right?)

"Mara Jade Skywalker. In the flesh. Or...in _your_ flesh."

(Mary Jane Skyler. Good to meet 'cha.)

"Likewise."

(I must say you have great taste in music. _Box of Rain _is one of my most favorites from The Dead.)

"You have a good singing voice."

(Thank you.)

"Now that we have the small talk out of the way, let's get to the meat of the order. What do you remember about that day in the stables?"

(That's the thing. I don't remember it. I just heard that song and it just made me want to sing.)

"Ok, let's go with what you do remember. Your name is a good start."

(Yeah. And I know my son is Benjamin. Hey, same as yours.)

"At least mine doesn't have a dog's name."

[Spike. Don't 'cha just hate that? Luke thought it'd be cute because Spike the dog died the same year Benjamin was born.)

"And you remember your ex-husband's name. That's unfortunate."

[I wish I could forget. That bastard, heavy on the 'turd.

Mara laughed. "Well, I'm heading to work. I've kept your same job at Fantasma's."

[I think you may have another kind of job there. I watched what you did with Marcos and his men.

"Not a field I want to get into. Again. And if you remember those creeps, you should remember Deke."

[Oh, yeah. Deke and his son, Victor. Can't remember the names of his bodyguards.

"Kivan and Nikoli," Mara supplied.

[Yeah. Tough guys.

"They'd like to think so."

[And Deke's driver is cute. But, shy. Jeremi.

"He doesn't talk much. When he's not driving he's always writing in his notebooks."

[I don't think he belongs in Deke's crowd.

"That's my assessment too. Of course, Emma has been great these past weeks."

[Good ole Mama. I don't think I could have survived my divorce and raising Benjamin if it weren't for her.

"If you can remember that far back, why can't you remember your accident at the stable?"

A pause, then[I don't want to talk about it.

"So, you _do_ remember. You just choose not to." Mara wanted to stress to her that by waking up and revealing what happened to her, Mara could go back to her Luke and Ben. Mara couldn't be that shallow but she explained instead, "You do want to come out of your coma? You can't speak through your mind to me for the rest of your life. Or my life." There was silence save for the sound of pelting rain against car metal.

"Mary?"

Nothing.

"Oh, Mary."

Still, nothing.

"Wonderful. What did you do today, Mara? Why, I had a conversation with the woman who lives inside my head. But, I'm still sane." She let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, just what I need. A conscience inside my head who's as stubborn as I am."

Mara turned the ignition of the Mustang and headed back towards downtown through the back way. She learned quick in Mobile to avoid Airport Boulevard in dry weather. On rainy days, which were nearly constant in this town, traveling on Airport was just as long as watching grass grow. As she drove, she called out to Mary every so often. She even played the same song again. Mary stayed silent.

As Mara parked along the street, she still considered the conversation with her alter-ego inside of her, however brief, was a step in the right direction. She just wouldn't know when Mary would decide to decide to provide commentary to her own life that Mara was living for her. Mara placed the thought on her mental back burner and opened the double glass doors of Fantasma's.

She went through the small hallway and entered the wide dining and entertainment area. The place was nearly deserted. It was a Tuesday and the only feature that night was .25 cent Buffalo Wings. To Mara, these tasted like a cheap downgrade of Luke's favorite tomo-spiced ribenes. She had to admit that some of the hot sauces that their cook and bartender, Chappy, made were so blazing that her mouth had been on fire for an hour.

Chappy was behind the bar wiping it down and smiling away. The dark-skinned man was always too cheerful. She waved a hand to him in greeting and he waved back to her in a flourish.

"How you doin' Miss Mara? Or is it Mary yet?"

"Almost. But it's just me now, Chappy." She no longer had to say her name was Mara to anyone at the nightclub anymore. They could tell just by her lack of Southern drawl.

She walked past the bar and through the doorway to the back room. In front of her was the employee lounge area, where five men were sitting at a round table playing cards. Most likely Poker. To her right was the kitchen and left was the way to the storeroom and rear exit. Deke, Kivan, and Nikoli were among the men playing cards. The other two were both heavy-set men whom Mara had never seen before.

"Hey, Mara. You get wet again in sunny Mobile?" Deke greeted her.

"Naturally. I haven't seen this much rain since a mission I had long ago on Kamino."

By this time since Mara Jade had come to be inside Mary Jane, Deke knew she was speaking of one of the worlds in her galaxy. He merely nodded to the other men to pay her comment no mind.

Kivan and Nikoli were Deke's equivalent of the men Carlos sent to persuade Deke into paying quicker. The two men in Deke's protective employ were large in muscle size but small in class stature. They were usually involved in the violent portion of Deke's organization, or whatever other task that was too messy for Deke to handle. They both were dark haired with chiseled features, and stayed silent until they were needed to be heard. They both also possessed an overabundance of confidence. All of this added to terror for Deke's clients. Mara, though, knew simple ways to take either of them down within seconds.

There was a sixth man present in the room. Far off in the corner sat Jeremi. He was writing away as usual in his notebook. He was Deke's driver and all around gopher for basic odds and ends. To her knowledge, Jeremi had not broken any laws. At least no major ones. He was also silent like the two henchmen but it was more of a shy and timid silence. Kivan and Nikoli's silence was for intimidation. Jeremi's was to keep himself in the background. The scribbles in his notebook were for+ his stories of mystery. Like Mary had said earlier that day, Jeremi did not belong in Deke's category of people. Many times Mara wondered how Jeremi got involved with Deke in the first place.

She changed into her work blouse and hung her jacket near her locker. She called out to Jeremi.

He jerked his head up from focusing on writing to say, "Hey, Mara. How are you tonight? Besides wet."

"Fine, Jeremi. Writing another one?"

"Yeah. This one is a murder mystery in a London Gentleman's club."

"You have a female as the killer?"

Jeremi gave a defeated look and pushed his hand through his thick blonde locks and asked, "How did you know?"

"It makes sense on so many levels. Well, happy writing. I'm going to help Chappy with the few customers we have."

Deke explained as he asked for two cards from Nikoli, the dealer, "It is Tuesday. And it is raining. Two strikes against us."

Kivan added in his slight accented booming voice, "Three if you count Chap's wings."

Deke defended his cook. "He not so bad. When I was kid in Ukraine, we would have to share one piece of stale bread for the week."

Nikoli chimed in, "Oh no, another 'when I was a kid in Ukraine' story."

One of the heavy set men spoke up. "Can we play cards? I have to win back my losses."

Deke asked, "How you do this in one night? You down a few thousand, Johnny."

"Just you wait, my friend from Ukraine."

"I'm going to let you guys to your game. I'll be out with Chappy if you need me."

Being a waitress was not foreign to Mara. There were many missions where she had to pose as a local waitress. There was also the stretch of time after the Emperor died when she was reduced to a mere mortal in her own words and went from assassin to waitress. She didn't mind hard work. Lately, the chores she did around the house and what she did at the nightclub kept her too busy to think. Cleaning, washing clothes, fixing meals, chauffeuring Ben to school and back were all tasks that had eluded the great Mara Jade while she was a Jedi and assassin. At the time she considered those duties to be too mundane. After the past few weeks, she discovered that the mundane had a greater life span than a Jedi.

There were a few more customers that night. One other reason for the slow night Mara figured was because it was the dancers' night off. Mara had already told Deke weeks ago that she was never to set foot on the stage in any capacity. She couldn't recall when the last time she truly danced. As she was putting away some glasses, she fought back tears as she remembered her dance with Luke at their wedding reception. That was our first and last dance.

It was near closing time after midnight when the quiet night turned to chaos.

All of the people who came in for a drink or two had left. Chappy wiped down the bar for the tenth time that night and was about to take glasses out of the dishwasher. Mara then told him to go home, which he did with smile on his face. She overtook Chappy's job and soon she heard the front door open and the unmistakable voice of Victor Werner. He was laughing as he walked through the hallway into the main area. He emerged around the corner with a strange man along with him. As far as looks, Victor was a mini version of Deke but with a goatee instead of a full beard.

He spotted Mara behind the bar and called out his greeting to her. "Mara! I'd like you to meet someone. This is Gustov, our third cousin from Lemsk." He spoke the basic language much clearer than his father but did have a slight dialect.

"It's Gustavo," the olive-skinned man corrected.

"Ah, yes. Gustavo. This is Mara. She is the glue that holds this place together."

Right then, Mara knew something wasn't right.

Since her arrival in Mary Jane's body, Victor's resentment toward her had grown larger. He also had a short fuse to his temper. The reason for his battles with Mary, and now with Mara, were obvious. Mary had been groomed by his father to be second in command at the nightclub when the position was supposed to be reserved for Victor. Not that Mary would have accepted. Even as timid as Mara found her to be, she couldn't see Mary agreeing to be part of Deke's world. Despite Mary's apparent reluctancy in accepting, Victor still lashed out at Mara whenever he could.

When he came in with Gustavo, and was actually praising her, she knew that display of positive greeting was for show. Victor claimed Gustavo as a cousin, yet there was no family resemblance. Even with the two words he spoke, she could detect that Gustavo's accent was not nearly the same as Deke's.

Instead of calling out Victor on that bit of information she noted, she went with his joke by saying, "If I'm the glue, what does that make you?"

"Heh, I'm the cement."

"I agree with that. You are a hard case."

Victor laughed and said to Gustavo putting his arm around him, "She is so funny."

Victor never laughed at Mara's sarcasm until that moment.

She addressed Gustavo. "Would you like something to eat? We have plenty of wings left."

"Si. I mean, yes. That would be well."

Victor yelled out, "Yes. Beer and wings for all! On the house!" He looked around at the empty nightclub. "Well, guess there won't be that many."

"We are closed, Victor," Mara answered. As she retreated to the kitchen, Deke, Kivan, and Nikoli came out the backroom.

"I knew I heard my son's cry for beer. Gustav, my friend! You have returned."

Mara caught Deke on the way to the kitchen as his two henchmen went to join the others, and muttered, "Where's your two other friends?"

"They go out rear door."

"I'm surprised they fit through it. And Victor referred to Gustavo as a third cousin. If he's your cousin or friend then I'm Queen of Naboo."

Deke gave a smile that was too wide. "Mara, we are from Ukraine. Our friends _are_ family. What you still doing here?"

"You need wings and beer. Do you see Kivan or Nikoli serving?"

"Ok, but after that you go home. Go see your son."

"Deke, it's past midnight. He's in bed. And you know perfectly well that Benjamin is not my son."

"Yes, of course. It has been long day for you. You must be tired."

"I can get over tired. Why are you rushing me out, Deke?"

Deke laughed. "Do I need reason? I just try to think of you while we conduct business."

"I can stay longer if you need me."

"I have Kivan and Nikoli."

"Amateurs."

"Mara, I never had to ask Mary to leave our business to us."

"You're not dealing with Mary now. You're dealing with a professional."

"I know. But last I heard, there are no Emperor's in Mobile, Alabama."

"No, but there's plenty of kingpins. Besides, I thought you were grooming Mary for second in command."

"You misunderstand. I was grooming her to be assistant manager here. No more. Mary had nothing to do with our business. You should do same."

"I'll tell _you_ what I am doing. I'm getting them some food and drink. I am then going to sit at the bar while you conduct your business."

Deke didn't have time to argue and even with knowing Mara for a few weeks, he knew once she made up her mind, it was pretty much set. "Suit you self." He went off to join the other men.

Her overdeveloped sense of curiosity prevented her from not knowing what Deke and his gang was up to. She had worked at the nightclub from the week after she woke up, but had yet to see evidence of Deke's true business. She admitted he hid it well. That didn't mean it didn't exist. She went ahead and fixed the leftover wings, which only needed to be warmed up. She took all the men's drink orders and prepared them. After they ate, drank, and small talked for a few minutes, Mara found that she was also famished. She fixed herself some wings and poured some wine. Then she watched.

Deke began, "Now, Gustav, how was business?"

"For one thing, it's Gustavo. And before I get into our profits, I want to know if Miguel is on the way. I tried calling him and he's not at his apartment."

Deke said, "Oh, he call earlier. He'll be here later."

Mara shook her head. There was a lie.

"Now, how you do?" Deke demanded.

Gustavo reached into his coat pocket and took out an inch thick stack of money. "We sold all we could. The product is getting lower in demand, bro."

Deke thumbed through the stack. "Lower in demand. Tsk, tsk, Gustavo. There seems to be something missing here."

"No, man. It's all there."

The inflection in Gustavo's voice told Mara otherwise. _Oh, Gustavo, you're digging a hole too deep._

Deke paused so long that Mara was about to call on him to wake up. He spoke before she had to.

"What you not understand, my friend, is when you get product to put on market, the supplier expects profit."

Gustavo pointed to the money. "That is the profit. And the seller expects twenty percent."

All the men laughed. All but Gustavo.

Deke replied, "Victor, you remember last time I agree to twenty percent?"

"Been a long time, father. I can't recall."

"Hmm, neither can I. I tell you, Gustavo, since this is your first time in business with us, I will be generous and go fifteen percent."

The new seller looked at the money and took a moment to answer. The time of that moment was way too short. "Ok. Fifteen it is."

Mara so wanted to scream at him. _You stupid idiot! You agreed to a lousy percentage too fast. If that stack on the table was all the profit, you would have haggled more._Mara wondered if Deke and his men caught that.

Instead, Deke shouted with glee, "Excellent! Victor, would you kindly subtract Gustavo's earnings from the stack?"

Victor took the stack in hand and started counting it. Slowly.

Deke motioned to Kivan. "I think our new partner need receipt."

Instead of answering back, Kivan reached into his own coat pocket. It wasn't a receipt.

The shot from Kivan's silver handgun fired directly at Gustavo's left knee.

Amidst Gustavo's cries of intense pain, Mara closed her eyes to her answer. _Yes, they caught it._

Gustavo squirmed inside his seat and his hands tried to hold the blood coming out of his knee. His screams were growing more intense. Mara fought the urge to grab a wet towel and tie off the bleeding. Deke and his men had a reason to keep this man in pain.

Deke said to Nikoli, "I know what is missing. A screwdriver."

Gustavo's eyes popped and he yelled more in anticipation of more pain. He kept pleading to them, "No! No!"

Nikoli went behind the bar to fix a drink. He got out the vodka and the orange juice from the cooler. Mara questioned this move silently as Nikoli brought the drink over to Deke.

Deke took the glass and sipped it. "Ah, a Screwdriver. I'm sorry, did you think I meant a real screwdriver? Heh, how cruel do you think I am? No, I like drink Screwdriver. It is simple. Vodka and orange juice. A breakfast drink with a kick, no?" He and the men laughed. "But, I show you the effects the citric acid in the orange juice." He then immediately poured some of the drink directly over Gustavo's wound.

Once again, Gustavo's screamed in pain. Kivan came over and held the man down. Gustavo breathed deep and his mouth spat wildly.

It took all of Mara's strength to resist stopping this. She was at a disadvantage. Without her trusty hand blaster or her lightsaber, there was no chance to go against four armed men without a weapon. Deke and his men had the upper hand. She so wanted to leave the scene. Something held her back.

_I once dealt pain like this long ago. _Instantly, the cold ghost whisper of the Emperor rang through her. _I need not tell you the consequences if you fail me. _She mentally shook off the voice inside and focused on what was next.

Deke was cool and calm as he addressed the injured man. "You see, I believe that this small profit you made us is not the amount that should be here. I am wondering, where is rest of money?"

Gustavo sat there controlling his pain and said nothing. Even if he had not been tortured, he more than likely would still be silent.

"No?" Deke beckoned. "Hmm, we thought perhaps your friend, Miguel, would know. But, he did not."

Gustavo used all his strength to ask, "Miguel...is...here?"

Deke answered, "Yes. He arrived earlier. Nikoli, go fetch Miguel."

Nikoli disappeared into the back room and was gone for a minute when he returned with a large gym bag. He set the bag down on the floor and opened the top flap. He then kicked it so the bag would tumble on its side.

Out of it came a large object that rolled toward Gustavo and stopped at the leg of his chair.

It had once been attached to a body a few hours ago. Now, the severed head of Miguel stared back at his partner with frozen fear in his dead eyes.

The cries that emitted from Gustavo this time were not related to pain. They were screams of horrified fear.

This time, Mara spoke out. "Deke! That's enough. Don't you think this is a little extreme?"

Victor answered for his father. "You let us handle our business our way. I thought you trusted her, father?"

"Trust not always include extreme torture, son. But, Victor is right. I told you Mary had left us conduct our business with no question."

"Maybe she didn't want to know the answers," Mara replied.

"You not want to know, either. Maybe it's time for you to go home now?"

"Only if I can take Gustavo to the hospital on the way. I can bring him in anonymously."

"I am sorry, Mara. We need further discussion with Gustavo. Nikoli."

Nikoli raised his black handgun and fired a shot in Gustavo's stomach. The grunts of pain from the poor man cried out as he doubled over.

Deke said back to Mara, "As you can see, we only have but a few more hours to speak with him about payment of betrayal."

Mara stared at Deke Werner in a new dark light than when she first met him. She compared his actions tonight to that of Palpatine's. Their ideas of torture philosophy were similar. She had heard terrible stories about Palpatine's methods. One of which was an associate who failed him once. Palpatine had made him succumb to the most gruesome torture and let him die an agonizing death. But, the Emperor didn't stop at death. He cloned the man with his memories fully intact, making sure he would remember the extreme pain.

Mara wanted nothing more to do with Deke and his cronies that night. She no longer wanted to have memories of dealing out pain again. She spent her years as Luke Skywalker's wife trying to forget her past duties. Or at least setting them aside for future reference. She had been Kivan and Nikoli in her early life. She was sure that if the Emperor had commanded her to decapitate a target, she would have complied with no question. Not for revenge nor out of anger. Her purpose for carrying out orders of violence were even worse. They were part of her duty.

She looked into the almost dead gaze of Gustavo. He wore a near peaceful look on him now. There was nothing she could do for him. He was lost.

"Ok, Deke. You do what you have to. I want no part of it." She got off her stool and prepared to leave. She changed out of her work blouse and into one of Mary's shirts. When she put her coat back on, she headed out the rear door. She couldn't bear to walk past that scene again.

Before she could reach the back door, Victor was there in the doorway blocking her path.

"That's it, run away. Mary would have. Though, she would have left us alone the whole night.."

"I'm not running away. I'm choosing to ignore. If it were up to me, I would cut all ties from this place. I can't decide that for Mary."

Victor came very close to her and said, "You know, I'm getting to like Mara better than Mary every day. Maybe we can have our own little moment together. Mary wouldn't remember it. Then again, Mary and I may have already had our little moment and _you_ don't remember."

"That's interesting. Let me ask you, on the day of Mary's accident, when did you get back from New Orleans?"

"First off, it's Nawlins; not New Orleens. And I got back late that night when Mary was already deep in sleep. What are you doing, investigating? I hear the culprit was put to sleep."

"I believe someone else was there. Human."

"That so? Good luck in proving that. You have tougher balls than I thought. Now, what about that moment?"

"You know, I've met many different types of men in many different systems, and here on Earth. You know what I found to be the same in all of them?" She jerked her knee up hard into his groin. As he doubled in pain, she finished her thought with, "They all have the same weakness." She bypassed him to reach the back door, but she stopped to add, "Seems I have tougher balls than you, Victor."

She reached Mary's black Mustang and drove in the cool mist back to Mary's home. Once she got back, she dragged herself to Mary's bedroom. She sidestepped in her path to stop at Benjamin Skyler's bedroom door. She creaked it open and saw him fast asleep peacefully.

As she prepared for bed, she wondered if either Gustavo or Miguel had any children at home sleeping as peaceful as Benjamin that night. They would be expecting their father to greet them in the morning.

Had her own Ben in her galaxy sleep as soundly the night she was murdered? He would have totally expected his mother to be there the next morning.

After laying in Mary's bed and not ready to sleep from the events of the night, she almost forgot that Mary had actually spoken to her earlier in the day for the first time.

Mara muttered aimlessly, "Mary, if you can hear me now, my advice would be to get away from these people you work for."

She sat there with nothing in her head for a few minutes. Then a faint reply resounded inside her head.

[I know.

Part 2 coming soon.

- Box Of Rain lyrics by Robert Hunter


	3. How To Speak Southern

**Part 2: **

**How To Speak Southern (And Get Away With It)**

Mara woke up to the crisp aroma of frying bacon. It alerted her to eject herself out of bed and throw on a nightshirt to head down the hall and into the kitchen. There was Emma at the stove tending to the bacon while Benjamin sat at the bar eating his bacon and toast sandwich. She could hear the crunch as he bit into it and her mouth salivated.

"Good morning, Mara," Emma's sweet and cheerful voice could brighten the most downtrodden. It rang festive even at seven in the morning.

"Good morning, you all."

Emma promptly put down the spatula and looked at Mara as if she were a student who made a grammatical error. "Now, Mara, if you're gonna attempt a Southern accent you better do it rat."

"Rat? Oh, right."

"And, it's _y'all_. You put the two together and shorten it."

"Ya all."

"You need practice, hun." Emma went back to the bacon and scooped up the remaining pieces and placed them on a paper towel. "So, was last night eventful?"

"Only until after midnight when we closed."

"I see," she said as she placed four pieces of newly fried bacon on a plate and handed it to Mara. "Was Deke conductin' a little business?"

"You could say he was getting ahead of it," Mara replied, but winced at her badly timed pun. She ended her own embarrassment by chomping down on the crisp bacon. She didn't bother with toast.

Emma sighed. "I told her to get away from those people a long time ago."

In between chews, Mara uttered, "She knows." Almost immediately, Mara caught herself with the automatic reply without thinking of the conclusions Emma could draw from it.

Sure enough, Emma froze and asked, "How do you know that, Mara?"

In answer, Mara turned to Benjamin and asked, "Are you done? Good. Go on and get ready and dressed and brush your teeth and I'll be ready to take you to school."

Benjamin Skyler popped the last bit of his sandwich into his mouth and climbed off the barstool to head off into the hallway silently. Over the past weeks since she woke up in Mary's body, Benjamin had been obedient in the small chores Mara had asked of him. He showed no emotion during the performance of the tasks, so it was relative to an empty acceptance.

After Benjamin trotted along into the hallway, Mara faced Emma and wondered how she would tell Emma about her encounter with her daughter. She decided on the up front method. She blurted, "I spoke to Mary yesterday on the way to work."

"You...spoke...to Mary? How?"

"I heard her voice inside my head, like it was my own thought." Mara was about to compare the experience to speaking to someone through the Force, but thought that would be too complicated to explain to Emma. Yet, it made Mara wonder if her former Force abilities she had in her original galaxy allowed her to hear Mary in this one.

Emma, the mother, could only reply with, "How is she? Is she ok? When is she coming back? What did she tell you?"

"Hold on, Emma. She didn't talk much. In fact, it was a Grateful Dead song that got her singing in my head."

"Lemme guess. _Box Of Rain_."

"Why...yes. How did you–"

"From many listens of that song through her bedroom door I could recite the lyrics. What did you talk about?"

"Little things she remembered. Her name, her son, you, her ex, and Deke."

Emma's face brightened enough to brighten up the darkened room from the usual cloudy Mobile sky. "She remembered me?"

"Of course. She called you her good old mother."

Emma frowned. "No, she didn't."

"Uh...yes, she did."

"My Janie would never say 'mother'. She may have said 'mama'."

"Ok, Ms. Semantics."

"You're gonna find those differences are important down here in the South. That's what Janie used to call me. Now, did she say when she was coming back?"

"Emma, it's not like she's on vacation."

"I know. No offense, Mara, I enjoy your company and I adore what you've done with Ben and the house in the past weeks, and, My Lord, I've never seen anyone adjust to awkward circumstances so quickly, but..."

"But, you want your daughter back."

"I so do miss her."

"I know. And I would like nothing more than to return to my own world "

"Does she remember anything about the accident in the stable?"

"Nothing. The fact is, it seems that she has blocked that event out of her mind. Just knowing that tells me something else happened to her there."

"And my question since you brought it up weeks ago is still what else could have hit her besides the horse?"

"Or who was in the stable that scared the horse into hitting Mary."

"Sounds like you need to talk to Mary again."

"Unfortunately, I don't have a choice as to when. She just kinda pops in when she wants."

"Maybe you need to play more _Box Of Rain_."

"Emma, she's your daughter, not an animal you can lure with music. Besides, I've been thinking of ways to research it myself. It was what I was good at in my world. Can I even approach the police on reading the report on it?"

"It's public record. And you are the victim, so you're entitled to the information. It's your accident report."

"No, it's Mary's. If they see Mary but hear someone else who doesn't act like her, they'll have more questions about that."

"Oh, hun, you do give the Mobile police department way too much credit. There ain't no reason why you can't just go as you are."

"I don't feel comfortable doing it. It's not even my life I'm controlling and I'm using it for my own advantage."

"If it also means that Mary will come back to us, don't you think that's worth it?"

There was silence from Mara. She knew Emma was right. Mara just didn't feel she could just reenter stealth mode in posing as Mary. Was it right to pose as someone who was not only living, but also living inside yourself? She was suddenly glad that Steven Markham, A.K.A. Dr. Hack, didn't have a chance to conduct a study on this case. It was truly an awkward situation built just for doctors like him to examine.

After Mara didn't answer quick enough, Emma went on. "Tell ya what, since you need to speak to Mary, and don't know when she'll show up, why don't I take Ben to school and let you alone for the day? While you're alone she may appear, right?"

"Maybe. But, Emma, I don't want to put you out."

"Nonsense, dear. You've proven yourself with your help with Benjamin and chores you've done around the house. I think you deserve a break."

"Uh huh. Can't wait to go shopping on your first-of-the-month pension check?"

"You see rat through me, dear." She called out, "Ben! Benjamin, dear, your granny's gonna take you to school and pick you up after today. Ok?"

Mara couldn't hear his answer, but she was sure it was in the form of a non committal grunt. She saw them leave through the side carport door and heard Emma's car drive off, leaving Mara alone in the house. She started doing household chores because there was no way she was going to be waiting all day for Mary to chime in her head like an anticipated phone call. Several hours went by and she had all the laundry done, the kitchen and bedrooms cleaned and straightened, and dusted all the furniture.

And not one hint of Mary Jane.

Mara thought of going outside and sit at the swing. Paranormal activities usually happened there. She met Didi, or Death, there. Maybe she could talk to her again. Though, details of that encounter were slowly fading away.

After mid-day, she made herself a sandwich and grabbed a Dr. Pepper to do what most stay at home mothers did when the work was done.

She flipped on the television.

Mara went through the many programs that were on at that time. Dramas that had less than perfect actors. Cooking shows that Mara almost fell asleep to. Outlandish games that won money for its guests. And the most incredible of them all were the chat shows. The subjects on these were so insane that Mara muttered during one of them, "Do Earth people actually watch this fodder?"

She switched over and found a movie that she got into. It was about an archeologist-adventurer who had to find an ancient artifact before the villains did. What caught her eye was the actor who was playing the archeologist could be Han Solo's twin. The twin who wasn't dead like Thraken Sal-Solo was.

After her sandwich was consumed she watched the movie until the end and she switched back to other channels again.

Still, no Mary Jane.

She found herself once again on one of the chat shows, but this time it stayed on. This time she was compelled to yell out at the screen, "She's cheating on you with another woman, for kriff sake. Why can't men see that?"

(Enjoying quality entertainment, I see.)

"Not really. About time you showed up. We need to talk. And no going silent because you don't care for the subject."

(It's about what happened at the stable, isn't it?)

"You think so? Why is it that you don't want to talk about it?"

(I don't know. I just know that whatever happened, it was traumatic.)

"We are so past the obvious now. What I want to get to is why it was traumatic. Everyone seems to blame the horse, but my instinct tells me there was more than just the horse."

(And we both know how your instincts are dead on. Just ask your nephew.)

Mara gave her some silence that was as cold as the Dr. Pepper condensing in her hand. She then uttered, "That was low, Mary. I'm beginning to see why your Luke left you for another woman...how long after your wedding?"

(Ok, I'm sorry. At least we both know how to push each others buttons.)

"That actually establishes trust. Neither of us can gain advantage over the other without using our weaknesses against us."

(In other words, a stalemate.)

"You learn quick. Now, am I correct in assuming that you can remember everything except the incident at the stable?"

(Not everything. Things are coming back to me little by little. I can remember most of the important stuff.)

"The incident at the stable is pretty important."

(You know what I mean. I can remember significant things like birthday parties, my own wedding, things like that. The memories are tricklin' in since you played _Box Of Rain_.)

"What was there before you heard the song?"

(Nothing. Blank. When I started singing, all the memories of mine and yours came bustin' in.)

"All except for the stable. What about things that happened right before the stable?"

(I do remember the pain of getting hit. Then, nothing. Then, the song. Funny, it didn't seem that long ago.)

"Only about one Earth year."

(Yeah, I do remember now that Didi girl tellin' you about time.)

"Time is the past, present, and future all rolled into one. Yes, I also remember. So, you can see my memories too?"

"Like I was watching a movie. I saw your Luke; very handsome, by the way. I saw your son, Ben. And I saw your nephew. Or should I just call him your murderer.)

"I have all kinds of names for him I shouldn't repeat."

(You don't have to. I know. So, all these memories and the one that will set me free I can't remember.)

"Which is why I want to start researching it. I need to see that accident report at the police station."

(What's stoppin' ya?)

"Well...me. I look like you, but I don't talk like you."

(You kiddin' me? They ain't gonna know you from Adam.)

"Who's Adam?"

(Exactly.)

"I'm afraid that if they see a woman who spent all her life here suddenly sounds as bland as I do they may have more questions than I care to answer about our situation."

(Who says you have to? That's not really it, is it? You used to pose as anyone you had to when you were a killer.)

"I was never a killer! An assassin."

(The difference being?)

"Killers need a special dose of insanity."

(But, you don't want to pose as me because you think it's unfair to me, right? What kind of bass ackwards morals is that?)

"Don't tell me what I'm about. Just because you're inside my head doesn't mean you can understand me. I have had to pose as something else, not someone else before. Especially when that someone is acting as my conscience."

(My, you are a mite insecure. How did your Luke put up with you all those years?)

"Because I let him. Are we comparing our Luke's, Mary? Because, yours may have some catching up to mine when it comes to morals."

(Ok, let's stop this. We ain't gonna get nowhere if we rattle on like this. Now, what is it that you're afraid of when you go to the police?)

"Your accent. I don't think I can talk like you."

(Well. Why didn't you say so? We can change that. You ready for Mary Jane to be your teacher?)

"Yes, I guess so."

(Ahh, lesson one: it's 'yeah' and not 'yes'. That's too civilized. Mama already told you how to say y'all.)

Mara attempted, "Ya all."

(No, hun, put them more together. Y'all.)

"Yall."

(There ya go. Now, you know what a rat cheer is?)

"A rat cheer?"

(Right here. And anything ending in -ing, you don't pronounce the g at the end. Like nothin'.)

"Or somethin'."

(You got it, hun. Talk 'bout a quick learner. Now, the phrases. When you say that you're about to do something, anythin', you say 'I'm fixin' to do it.)

"Fixing to? What are you fixing?"

(It just don't matter. Just say it like that and you'll blend like chitlins and gravy.)

"Like, I'm fixing to leave?"

(Yeah, but it's fixin' to. Remember, no g. I think you got it.)

"Yes, er...yeah."

(And people in the South, they don't say 'Hi' or 'hello'. They say 'hey".)

"As in 'Hey, there.' instead of 'Hi, there.'"

(Yep.)

"It's basically just a lazy way of speaking. Short cuts just to get the meaning across. Sort of the way people live here."

(Yep. And remember to speak slower and act like you don't have a care in the world.)

"I wish that were true."

(No, say, 'I wish that _was_ true.')

"But that's the wrong tense."

(Like I said, it don't matter. If you wanna talk like a Southern woman, you just can't be all serious all the time and show that laid back attitude.)

"I'm afraid that's not in my nature," Mara admitted.

(Well, it's in my nature. Hey, if you feel so insecure about being me, then you can just go to the police as yourself.)

"I told you, there will be more questions."

(Well, how in the world are people gonna know ya?)

"I don't want people here to know Mara Jade. I don't belong here."

(So, you gonna fix me however which way and be off? We're sharing the same body, so I don't believe you have a choice in the matter.)

"We may be sharing your body, but right now I have control of it. You're just a voice in my head now. Until I find out what your trauma was that bounced you into Nowhere-land, you're staying there."

(You think you have all the control?)

"The evidence doesn't lie."

(Then why are you still watching _Jerry Springer_?)

Mara shook her head slightly and looked at the remote to turn the TV off. "I wasn't paying attention to it."

(Huh, huh. That happens to be my favorite show and I wanted it kept on. That one you were watching was a rerun, though. His mistress comes out later and she fights with his fiancé. And, yes, people of Earth _do_ watch the show. It's sorta low-grade entertainment.)

"Emphasis on low."

(Hey, you gonna practice your Southern talk? Cuz, I know you don't want anyone to know of our situation. Or are you just gonna cave in and explain that to the police?)

"No, I ain't," Mara suddenly blurted in pure Mobilian.

(There ya go. Why, with a little practice, you'll be talkin' like me in no time.)

"And you best be rememberin' what happened at that stable, and I'll be outta here quicker than two shakes of a womprat's tail. You reckon'?"

(Wow. You're good.)

"You're right. When I was an assassin, I did have to play roles. I usually fell into a part so easily."

(Maybe you didn't like the role underneath?)

Mara smiled and said admired, "Mary, you may just have something there. I was almost too good at my job then."

(That include killin'?)

"Don't start on me again, woman."

(Nah, wouldn't dream of it. Besides, you don't have to preach no morals to me. I basically work for a gangster.)

"In which you have no business being in that world. I've been in that world. I took down boss's like Deke in my day."

(Like I said last night, I know. It's like I can't shake him. Deke's all charmin' when you first meet him. When he goes about his business, he's becomes someone else."

"Most bosses in crime organizations like that can turn the violence on and off like a switch. I ought to know."

(Why can't I leave him? I can just go and get a new job somewhere. I just feel obligated to him, I guess.)

"Worse. You feel loyal to him." Mara let out a breath and said to Mary, "We may have more in common than you think, Mary Jane."

(Except I would've ran away last night when Deke told me to leave.)

"I was too curious."

(And we all know what that did to the cat. God Almighty, if I could have, I would have upchucked them wings right there as soon as I saw that man's head rollin'.)

"Guess I shouldn't tell you that I have seen worse. I've _dealt_ worse violence than that. You wouldn't believe the kind of damage a lightsaber can do to flesh. There is less blood. The saber is so super heated that it automatically cauterizes the wound. Some species were different, though. I once encountered a WeeQuay who was coming after me and I cut off his arm. His blood must have been thinner than most, or the heat didn't react the same with his flesh. His blood spilled out from–"

(Ohh, stop it! Hey, ain't it time for you to prepare some supper? Ben and Emma will be here before you know it.)

"Emma always comes up with meals everyday. That's what's strenuous. All of the decision making. Guess I can prepare that meat in there. I watched Emma make them into patties last week."

(I wish you could fix fried chicken like Mama's. But, the hamburger would be easier. Come on, get to it!)

"Yeah, maham."

(What was that you said?)

"Maham. Isn't that short for Madam?"

(Ugh, Mara, it's ma'am. Just ma'am. Just like y'all, you combine them. You're putting too many letters in our Southern language, girl.)

"Gotcha." As Mara prepared the beef into patties, she kept on practicing with her new accent. She kept with it even after Mary Jane apparently left her mind. No sooner than she turned up the heat on the stove, she heard the front door burst open and the voice of Benjamin came from around the hall. He then appeared with the boy who he had been playing with fireworks on Mara's first day in the house, Tommy. Benjamin gave his casual wave to her which he considered a greeting.

Mara spoke to him in her newly found accent. "Well now, is that the only greetin' I'm gettin' today?"

All of a sudden, Benjamin Skyler did an about face with eyes fully popped and exclaimed, "Mama, is that you? You're back?" Immediately, he made a beeline towards Mara and crashed into her to wrap his arms around her waist.

It was a moment that was too endearing for Mara. Maybe I'm too good? It was such a touching scene that she almost didn't want to bring him back to reality. She couldn't do that to him. Or Mary. Or herself.

"No, no, Ben. It's still me. Mara."

He unwrapped his arms from her waist and said cautiously, "But, you sound like her."

"I know. I've been practicing my accent so I can fit in here better."

"I don't believe you."

"What?"

I don't believe you. I think you're still my mama and you're too scared to show up."

"You're actually not far off the mark, kid."

"I still don't believe you. Prove that you're not my mama."

"What do you propose I do?"

"Do one of Mara's things."

"Mara's things? What would those be exactly?"

"I don't know. Assassin things."

"Oh, I see. Tommy, come over here and I'll demonstrate how you can kill someone with just your index finger." Tommy stood there motionless. "No? Okay, stay there against the wall."

Mara picked up the kitchen knife she was using to cut the carrots to put in a salad. She held it with a quick grip and in one fluid motion her arm and wrist flung the knife end over end to land point inward into the wall–a foot above Tommy's head. She aimed high since she rarely made it a habit of hurling knives at children. Tommy looked up at the knife stuck in the wall above his head and gulped audibly. The two kids were at once speechless.

Until Benjamin uttered, "Yep, you're Mara all right."

"OK, satisfied? Show's over. Tommy, breathe. Tommy. Breathe, Tomm–that's it. You staying for dinner? I promise no more knives will come at you."

Tommy slowly nodded on the other side of shock.

"Well, this will be ready in about a half hour. Ben, why don't you take Tommy and get you yourselves cleaned up before dinner? Now, git before I start whoopin' you boys." They instantly disappeared around the corner.

Who should be standing in the doorway, and had just heard Mara's newly found accent, but Mary Jane's mother. She wore an expression of shock and joy. "Janie?" she willed herself to ask and wholly expected a positive answer.

Instead, Mara said in her own straight dialect, "Don't you start, too. I'm still Mara Jade. Please tell me I don't have to prove that to you as well." She went over to the wall to pull out the knife embedded in the wall.

"What happened here?"

"Oh, just playin' with knives. Rememberin' my own childhood in the process."

"You have an accent now," Emma exasperated.

"Yes. I mean, yeah. Mary taught me the basics, ma'am."

"You spoke to her again? Did it work, being her alone?"

"It took a while, but it did. She popped into my head and we spoke and she taught me the Suthuhn diahlect. She remembers much before her accident and beyond, all except a certain time in a stable."

"That's weird. Why would she block that out?"

"Why, indeed."

"What can we do about it?"

"I am going to the police station tomorrow and find out what's in that accident report. And with my new accent, there will be less explaining the other woman sharing our same brain." Mara paused and then went into her Southern drawl. "But, first, y'all are gonna sit down and do some eatin'."

Emma retorted, "You reckon?"

Part 3: Earth Cops Are Easy - Coming Soon!


	4. Earth Cops Are Easy

**Part 3**

**Earth Cops Are Easy**

The next day Mara allowed Emma to take Benjamin to school again, but decided to at least pick him up afterwards. She didn't figure her task at the police station would last that long, and since she didn't have to work at Fantasma's until the next night, she wanted to let Emma have her day too. Judging from the small amount of packages Emma had returned with the previous day, Mara suspected Emma required more shopping time. Mara could relate. Even at times in her own galaxy, Mara would sometimes surrender to the shops of Coruscant armed with Luke's credit card. She would make herself feel better when she bought a dress, a purse, or shoes...or three of each.

As Mara let Emma have her indulgence for the second day in a row, she set out to the police station in downtown Mobile. Emma gave her directions that purposely avoided Airport Boulevard. For once in the town, the rain and clouds gave way to clear sunny skies, though it was still brisk for September. Mara noted more than once that weather had a direct affect on a person's disposition for the day. She wondered how the people of Mobile stayed cheerful, despite the constant gloomy weather. She found that the people in the area were relatively positive no matter what the situation. Even Mara felt a burst of confidence as she neared the station.

Once she parked in the lot provided, she noticed the lack of activity surrounding the building. There were shows that she had watched in the evening on the television that always seemed to depict police stations as crowded and subject to a dramatic life-threatening outburst at any moment. The reality was that police stations were as calm and serene as any other public building. Though, the officers who she knew in her life, like Corran Horn, were rather less than serene. She figured Earth's cops were like them as well. If there was a dramatic outburst, they would make sure it was well outside the public eye.

She entered the building and came into a wide forum with a large counter at the opposite end. She spotted a uniformed officer sitting at the counter busy with writing. She made a quick glance around to make it look like she _wasn't_ glancing around and detected the cams in the corner of the ceilings at once. They were painted to match the color of the ceiling but she could find them anyway. There had been one time in her life when she would have went out of her way to avoid those cams. Now, she waltzed inside and headed for the counter.

She reached it and prepared for the role of her alter-ego. She spoke in her well-practiced Southern drawl, "Well, hey there."

"Can I help you?" he asked without looking up from his paper he was writing on.

"I surely do hope so. I need to investigate myself."

The man's attention was aroused as he lifted his head this time and asked confused, "You need to what?"

"Let me explain. See, last year I was involved in an accident out at the Evergreen Stables out there on Highway 25 past the airport. I had me a run in with a wild horse. It kicked me in the head and I was bounced into nowhere for a year. One whole year. Can you believe that?"

"No kidding? You lookin' all right to me."

"Well, of course I do now. I just woke up weeks ago. Now, I don't remember anything about how it happened. I just would love to know what happened in an official capacity. And I heard there was an accident report filed. Well, I'd just love gettin' my hands on that report."

"No problem, Miss." He turned to reach for a shelf of papers stacked nearby. He chose one of the sheets of paper and handed it to Mara.

"Here. Fill this out and we'll see about gettin' you that report, sweet thing," he said.

Mara said, "Thank you," and took the form and went aside to a bench on the side wall. She sat there and reached into Mary's purse and found a pen to start filling out the form. She had to reach back into the purse to peek at Mary's wallet to know her Social Security number. She was glad the officer went back to his writing and didn't see her check it. Usually, people would know their ident codes by heart. She finished the form within minutes and she handed it back to the officer.

"Ok, ma'am...I mean, Miss Skyler, I'll take this to the Sergeant and he'll be out here with your file in no time." He turned to disappear in the back and she sat down at the bench again. After several minutes, a burley heavy-set man with a full goatee that reminded her of Talon Karrde's came out and stood behind the counter. He called out to her, "Uh, Miss Skyler?"

She sprang from the bench to approach the counter again and answered, "That's me."

"How you doin'? I'm Sgt. Brown, and I see that you're interested in seeing an accident report from last July."

"Yep, that's rat."

"And you were involved in this incident?"

"Why, you're gettin' all the right answers today."

"Kicked in the head by a horse. Out there at Evergreen. By God, I remember when this happened. They said you went into a coma. You just woke up now?"

"A few weeks ago."

"You feelin' all right now?"

"Yeah, I do. I just don't have all my memories back yet. When I woke up, I didn't know who I was, at first. Then I saw a few doctors and they helped me get most of my memory back."

"Doctors? Wasn't there one doctor who treated you? He wrote an article right after it in the Mobile_ Press Register_."

Mara cringed at the mention of that. Her fury towards Dr. Steve Markham grew larger when he wrote a column about what happened to her describing her situation in coming out of a year-long coma relatively unscathed. He had not included the fact that she woke up as someone else. He had already experienced the wrath of Mara Jade for drugging her into a hypnotic state. There had been an older picture of Mary Jane beside the column and it brought her a small dose of fame for a short time. Most of the remarks about her were made by customers at Fantasma's when she would fetch their drinks. She was glad that Deke did not expand the hype by calling attention to it. Then again, that may have been for his benefit, not Mara's.

She acknowledged the article with Sgt. Brown and went on to explain, "I just thought that if I look at the full report, somethin' can jog my memory as to how an animal could hit someone so hard that they go into a coma. Have you ever heard of that?"

"Until this instance, I haven't. But, I do remember our forensics team went over that stable with a fine toothed comb and they found nothin'. They did get the horse out of there and they ended up shootin' it. As wild as that horse was, anythin' can happen, I reckon."

"My instinct tells me they don't."

"Well, ma'am, we here at this precinct don't rely on instinct. Heh, I made me a poem, didn't I? We go with facts and facts only. The facts, as they say, tell the story."

"If you're missing some of the facts, then you have a different story, don't cha?"

"Well, Miss Skyler, all I know is all the facts that was collected at that there stable are all in here." He dropped a small manilla envelope on the counter. "And you are welcome to it, bein' the victim and all."

"Thank you so much. Now, when do I have to have these back?"

"Oh, no, Miss Skyler. You can't take the report home with you. You have to read it here. There ain't much there, so it won't take you but a few minutes."

She opened the folder to see its contents.

One typed piece of paper.

"This is it?" she muttered in her own plain dialect. She immediately repeated in Mary's accent, "This is it?" Luckily, Sgt. Brown did not hear her first response.

"Yes, ma'am. It was pretty much an open and shut case."

Mara picked the sheet up and turned it over to reveal a blank page. On the front was all the vital data about Mary Jane Skyler, including blood type, DNA sample, and medical history. Below that was a paragraph of several short sentences describing the time frame of events and describing the injuries. Under that was the series of statements from the witnesses and finally two signatures of authority. The Chief of Police and Head of Forensics.

She eyed the last signature and noted the contents of the folder. "Hmm, this was investigated by forensics, rat?"

"Yes, ma'am. Whenever they're involved they have to sign the report too."

"Uh huh. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but if forensics were involved, where's the hard evidence?"

"Come again?"

"Well, I assume if they used a fine toothed comb that there would be a comb."

Sgt. Brown was clearly off his guard at that point. Mara smiled at his sudden realization that he was speaking to someone with more intelligence than what he gave her upon sight.

"Well, ma'am, you do know there wasn't any actual comb."

Mara closed her eyes and brought Mary's hand up to her mouth to stifle a laugh. Maybe _she_ was giving Sgt. Brown way too much intelligence. "I know that, Sgt. What I meant was actual evidence. There's no pictures?"

"Well, yeah, there's pictures, but I don't think you would want to see them."

"I can handle it."

"It's not that, Miss Skyler. It's against policy to show the public physical evidence. Now, the report itself you can look all you want."

"Policy. You don't have a better answer than that?"

"Come again?"

"No, I won't be coming again. If there's pictures that go with this then Mary–er, _I_am entitled to them. I ain't leavin' until I see them."

"Can I ask why you need to see them so bad?"

"That ain't none of your business is it? I'd tell you, but it's not my policy to explain my reasons for things."

"Miss Skyler, you can stay here till Mardi Gras, and we still can't let ya see them pictures. It's a conflict of interest to show a victim actual evidence of their own trauma."

"Well, whose interest is it conflicting? Yours or mine?"

"Ma'am, you're welcome to copy that page over at the copier in the corner there, but I can't allow you to see the photos. If you want me to be blunt, you don't want to see what happened to you. It might be more traumatic if you see 'em. 'Specially if you don't remember it and seein' it for the first time. It was pretty bloody."

"Oh? And a horse did all that?"

"Yes, it did."

"Who says?"

He pointed to the folder. "That report says so. The horse was wild, you tried riding it anyway, and you got hit. Hard. End of story."

"It most certainly is not the end of the–"

"Mary!" a voice suddenly called out.

Mara suddenly froze a moment. What were the chances of running into someone who knew Mary well? She thought of Emma's pet name for Mobile as the World's Largest Small Town, and considered the odds to be great. Could she pass as Mary with someone who was close to her? That situation certainly never came up in her roles that she played as Emperor's Hand. She turned towards the direction of the voice near the entrance. There was the figure of a man just entering the building and heading towards her.

He was of medium height and build with neatly parted amber hair. He was not excessively handsome, but he wasn't unattractive either. His attire consisted of a neatly pressed navy business suit and maroon tie. He looked to be in this late thirties. He approached her with a stoic confidence.

Mara answered him back as if she knew him. "Hey there."

"How you doin', girl? I haven't seen you in a while. I saw your picture in the paper a few weeks ago. Did you really come out of a coma for so long?"

"Well, yeah. And I've been around, uh...uh..."

"Doug. Doug Tanner." Feeding off her confusion, he then asked, "You don't remember me, do you?"

"Not a bit," Mara took no time in admitting.

"That's ok. We went out a few times a few months before your accident."

"Oh. As in a date?"

"More than one."

Though she had lost her Force abilities completely after the first day of waking up, Mara still projected a call for Mary within herself as if she hadn't._ Mary! Help me out here! Hello, Mary! _Mary was silent. Mara wondered if there was an ulterior motive in her absence.

"That's ok, we can catch up later. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'm just looking at my own accident report," she said casually.

"Why do you need to–oh, you don't remember it, do you?"

"No more than I remember you. No offense, but I only remember the basics of my life so far."

"I understand. You don't remember anything at the stable. Wow, that's incredible. Amazing what the brain tells us to forget and remember." He looked up at Sgt. Brown and asked him, "Is there a problem with something?"

"Who are you?" Sgt. Brown asked back.

"Doug Tanner. I work in forensics. I've seen you around before. I usually come through the back way."

"Oh, yeah, I thought you looked familiar. Well, Miss Skyler has her accident report but she wants to look at the pictures."

Doug Tanner whistled. "Oh, Mary, is that wise?"

"I think you best let me judge that for myself."

"Ok, fair enough. Sgt. Brown, I think I can take over now. Thanks."

"Whatever. You have a good day, Mr. Tanner. You too, Miss Skyler." Sgt. Brown tipped his hat to her and turned to disappear around the corner to the back.

Doug looked back at Mara and addressed Mary. "Now, the pictures. May I ask why they're so important?"

"I prefer my answers to be internal for now," she stated.

"Mary, look, we've known each other for–"

"Not a lick of time, according to me right now. For all intents and purposes, I technically just met you five minutes ago. Do you know what it's like not having your memories intact, yet everyone around you remembers every detail? And everything you once knew and loved is gone?" The image of Luke sitting with a blank stare on their bed popped into her head and she managed to fight back tears. "It's like on the gloomy side of frustration."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to presume. The article said nothing about a memory loss. Why don't we start over? About a year and a half ago, we met at the PTA meeting at Madison Junior High. My daughter, Debbie, goes to school with your Ben. We made each other laugh and we went out on a few dates. After that, you never called back. Then your accident happened. Horrible to be hit by a horse's hoof."

"It didn't tickle," she muttered.

He laughed. "I'm sure it didn't. Actually, I'm glad I ran into you finally. After reading the article, I was going to call you. But, I thought...awkward."

"You wanted to know why I stopped calling," she uttered.

"I see a year-long nap has strengthened your instinct."

"Among other things. To be honest, Mr Tanner–"

"Doug, please."

"Doug. My brain has been overloaded since I woke up. At first, I didn't know who I was. Then it was the bigger things that came back to me. My name, my son, my moth–mama, and unfortunately, my ex husband. I wish he could've stayed forgotten. Don't take this the wrong way, Mr. Tanner, but the little things like people who I don't see everyday kinda went on the back burner of my mind. So, forgive my lack of memory of you."

"I understand. And you believe seeing those pictures will jog your memory more?"

"More like to tell me I ain't crazy."

"How so?"

Mara tried thinking of a way to keep her reasons as close to the truth without giving away her true motive for her investigation. She found one. "Ever since I woke up, I've slowly gained my memory. But, I still can't remember what happened at that stable."

"You can't? That's weird."

"Yeah, everyone tells me I got hit in the head by that horse, but I don't remember the horse. I do remember the pain, though. Everyone is so sure that it was just the horse, but I've had dreams since I woke up that shows me someone else there at the stable besides the horse."

"Really?"

Mara Jade had been trained to watch the reactions that people made when they were asked or told certain things. If she had to guess at his reaction just then, and she had to guess without use of the Force, she would say he was very concerned. Maybe even overly concerned. Mara made a note of that. "Yeah. Strange, isn't it?"

"Very. We couldn't find anything else at that stable. Especially any evidence of someone else there. Then again, the floor was nothing but hay and dirt, so if there were someone else there, they could hide their tracks well. Look, uh, I can't discuss your own case with you here. But, you now have me intrigued, Mary. Maybe there was something I missed."

"So, you'll help me?"

"Yeah, but I definitely can't give you the pictures. At least, not here. Tell you what, go ahead and take that file–no, you can't take it home. I'll take the file and I will come to your house tonight with this and the photos we took at the scene." He went into a whisper. "Look, Mary, this is sensitive and I could be in trouble for it, but at least I'm doing it when I'm off duty."

"Why would you risk helping me.?"

"Because I liked you, Mary. I thought we had something once, but..."

"Doug, I can't tell you right now why I stopped seeing you. Tell you the truth, I don't even know myself. But, if you really want to help me, we do it my way. You're not coming to me. I'll come to you. That way I can leave when I need to."

"Fair enough. When did you become so security-minded, Mary?"

_Since I was a five-year-old running around Palpatine's court_, she so wanted to answer. Instead, she gave an answer more relative to Mary Jane. "I don't know. I guess since I woke up some things changed."

Mara noticed his eyes squinting at her for a fraction of a second. Almost as if he were studying her in that small moment. It disappeared quickly and he said, "I'm sure they did. Do you remember where I live?"

"And the Dumbest Question of the Year Award goes to Doug Tanner."

He laughed. "Sorry. I live off Dauphin Street. Apartment 325." He gave her quick directions and she filed them away in her memory. "I'll see ya tonight at, say, six?"

"Sounds good." She handed him back the folder and turned to leave the building. She felt his eyes watching her leave. Mara got into Mary's car but she didn't turn the ignition. She sat there for a while trying to will Mary to answer her. There was no response. Hidden away again in her desolate blackness that Didi showed her.

She knew this meeting with Doug Tanner was for the purpose of going over the facts of Mary's accident report. She could not shake the fact that Doug wanted it to be more. She had to know why Mary broke it off, or why she stopped calling. Yet, if Mara were to refuse Doug's advances, would that be considered dictating Mary's choices? For all Mara knew at that moment, Mary may have had feelings for this guy. She may had been too afraid to commit again. After marrying someone like Luke Wallace, Mara could see why.

The real question Mara did not want to answer was not regarding a date with Doug Tanner, or Mary Jane's lack of reaction towards him. No, the question on Mara Jade Skywalker's mind had to do with cheating on her husband. Was she betraying Luke Skywalker for even thinking about dating another man? Granted, it wasn't her body or life.

_Nonsense, Mara, _she told herself. _You haven't even gone that far with Doug yet._

"Then why do I still feel guilty?" she muttered the question to herself. "Oh, Farmboy, why can't you be here to tell me what to do? Or at least assure me that I'm doing right." Again, there was no reply. She now missed the warmth Luke would give her from across the galaxy more than ever. _Someday. Someday soon. _

Mara turned the key and sped off back to Mary's home. Emma must have been still shopping as there was no one there. Since she had done most of the housework the previous day, Mara was forced to sit around and wait. Something she would have never caught herself doing in her former galaxy. Though she did not want to go back to Deke's the next night for an Earth version of her former life before Luke, she admitted that she did miss the action. At least she was doing something.

Sooner than she imagined, Emma had returned. This time, there were twice as many packages on this leg of her shopping tour. Emma filled her in on all of the bargains she found. It reminded Mara of when she took Jaina on a shopping spree on her eighteenth birthday. Jaina showed the same girlish glee as Emma just had when she found shoes for half price.

Once Emma finished her joyful rants on shopping, Mara explained what occurred at the station. She mentioned her appointment that night with Doug Tanner.

The name sparked a memory in Emma as she reflected, "Yes, I remember him. Don't know why she let go of him. That's Debbie Tanner's daddy. She don't live with him. His ex is already remarried and Debbie lives with them. He's not too handsome, but he's not hard to look at."

"And he's got a good payin' job apparently."

"Mara, you don't need the accent with me."

"Sorry, it's kind of contagious. Look, I can pick up Ben today."

Emma pulled out a blouse she admired and said simply, "Tired of sitting around?"

"We are way too in tune, Emma. Scary."

When it was time to pick up Benjamin from school, Mara drove up to their designated rendezvous spot and Benjamin was there. He climbed in the car quickly and kept his head down.

"Hey there, Ben. How ya doin'?"

"Stop talking like her. You ain't her."

"Sorry, Benjamin."

"It's Spike."

"That's the name of a dead dog. You were named after your grandfather. You're telling me you'd rather honor a pet than your own family?"

Ben gave no reply but sank deeper into the seat.

Mara changed the subject. "Tell me, do you know Debbie Tanner?"

Ben answered weakly, "Yeah. She's all right."

"Know her well?"

"We don't talk much. She's a cheerleader."

"Oh." Mara looked over at him and spotted a red mark on his cheek. She took her right hand off the steering wheel and tried to brush his hair back. He turned for a second and his face was in full view. His left eye was red and black. "What happened?"

"Nothing. Can we just go, please?"

"No, I want to know why your face looks like it met with a battle droid."

"It's nothing. And you don't care."

"Benjamin, I know I'm not your mother. But in the past weeks I have accepted the job because of the circumstances. I can't change our situation any sooner than you can. For you to say I don't care is not true."

"Whatever. Let's just go."

Mara put the car in gear and sped off as she muttered, "Why are all Ben's always this stubborn?"

Once they got home, Emma treated Benjamin's eye as Mara prepared a quick dinner. She ate some of what Emma called Mac and Cheese and then prepared herself to leave for Doug's. He gave detailed directions and in no time she reached a large building. It was split into four separate apartments. From the look of the place, she figured the divorce and child payments took most of his money if this was all he could afford. Either that or a job in forensics wasn't as lucrative as she thought. She reached the correct apartment and knocked.

The door creaked open and Doug Tanner appeared in casual jeans and a red button-down shirt. "Hey, Mary. Come on in."

She entered and immediately the smell of something spicy hit her nose. She looked around at the small dwelling and saw that the table was set for two with a bottle of wine chilling on the side. She mentally shook her head as her assumption that Doug believed this meeting to be more was just verified.

"I have my famous Sausage Parmesan cooking. I think you'll like–"

""I already ate."

"Oh. Well, you wouldn't object to a little wine, would you?"

"Doug, we have to talk. We gotta get somethin' straight right now. As I said at the station, I don't remember our time together. So, this is not a date. I am goin' through something very unique right now. I'm tryin' to get back the memories in my life. That means I have to put aside any type of relationship with anybody. I know you've been divorced, so I know that must have been painful. I'm sure you're a great guy, but I have to gain myself back first. Do you understand?"

His look was solemn at first, then he smiled with no humor contained. He stated, "That was probably the longest and deepest words that Mary Jane had ever spoke to me. Which begs me to ask a question. And I want an honest answer."

"Of course."

He wore a more serious expression and asked, "Who are you and what have you done with Mary Jane Skyler?"

Coming Soon: Part 4 - Dates and Detections


	5. Dates and Detections

**Part 4 : Dates and Detections**

For a split second, Mara thought Doug was joking. His blank stare and serious tone told her otherwise. Inside she questioned herself. _Did I act the wrong way? Did I say something different from Mary?_

(Ten to one it was your accent.)

_Oh,_now_ you show up. Thanks so very much, Mary._

(I told you I can't speak to you all the time.)

_I don't recall that you did._

(I didn't? Oh, well, now you know.)

_Your bulletin is a little late._

(You best answer him or he'll keep asking questions.)

Mara tried to play down his words and act as if it were a joke. "That's real funny, Doug. You are talkin' to Ma–"

"You can stop the games. Try as you might but that accent is not Mary's. It's too forced."

_Damn. So much for humoring him._

(Coulda' told ya. Doug Tanner is really into details.)

_Something that could have been brought to my attention earlier._

(Hey, if I coulda' I woulda'.)

Doug finally relaxed and assured, "It's all right. I think I understand. You can't remember much after your coma and you wanted to make it look like you did. I'm actually interested in what you really sound like."

(Oh, he's sweet talkin' you, Space Girl.)

"Shut up," Mara tried to mutter quietly. She failed.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing, Doug. You wanted to hear what I really sound like, here I am," Mara said in her own accent.

"Interesting. I never heard Mary without an accent. Where is it you're from?"

"Not from anywhere around here. And neither are you."

Doug grinned. "Guilty. I'm from Ohio originally. Midwest Central. Since you're not Mary, whom should I be addressing?"

"Jade. Mara Jade."

A beat went by before Doug prodded, "And..."

"And that is all the data you're getting other than my investigation into Mary's accident."

"You're not going to tell me about yourself?"

"You called me out, you play by my rules."

(That's tellin' him, Mara. Gosh, I wish I was that aggressive with him. He just never shut up with questions.)

_Is that why you dumped him?_

(He was never mine to dump. We only went out a few times. He almost never let me talk. It was kinda intimidatin'.)

_I could see that._

Doug cleared his throat and said almost in defeat, "Ok. Well, this is awkward. I think I'm going to have a glass of wine. Or three. Do you want any?"

"No, thank you. Something tells me I need a clear head when I talk to you."

Doug poured himself a healthy sized glass of wine and drank it quickly. The signs were obvious that he felt he may have met his match. Mara tried to hide her thrill. Again, he noticed.

"I can see you are rather enthused. I know you're not used to my meticulous ways, but I have to say you have adjusted to them well. Much better than Mary would have."

(Hey!)

"I think Mary would resent that."

"How would you know?"

"Let's just say I have a direct source."

"This is going to be so weird looking at Mary but talking to someone else." He paused at her silence and kept on. "Still not going to tell me about yourself?"

"You're meticulous enough. Why don't you give it your best shot?"

He poured another glass but sipped it this time. "Mara Jade. You're not Southern. I can't place your accent though. At times, it almost sounds British. Your assertiveness suggests you are a figure with some authority. But, that snappish manner in your voice, along with the sadness I read into it, makes me think that you long to be somewhere else. Maybe you're away from your home and don't know where it is."

Mara was impressed. She held back from saying so. She didn't want to expand this man's ego any more than it was.

(Good thinkin'.)

_Sit back, Mary, and watch a professional handle this man._ "You think you have me all figured out? It took my husband years to do that, and I can still surprise him."

"Luke?"

"Not Mary's Luke. _My_ Luke. And believe me, mine is a far cry from Mary's."

(Fair enough.)

"Wait. Both you and Mary have husbands named Luke? That's too coincidental. Unless...you two may be the same person in different realities."

"If that's the way you want to describe it. You can analyze all you want. You don't have anything better to do."

"Why do you say that?"

"You live alone. You're divorced. You go to work and come home to an empty apartment everyday. You watch movies for the majority of your down time, judging from the monstrous stack of videos and discs over there. You have no social life, so you never have anyone over for dinner."

"How do you figure that?"

"You just bought that wine today."

"So?"

"What kind of wine is it?"

"I don't know. A red wine."

"Someone who is a connoisseur and buys wine for parties would know the brand and year."

"I wanted this to be a special occasion."

"You haven't seen Mary for over a year and a half. You assumed that when she saw you today that she would drop everything and go on a date with you just like that?"

Doug went speechless.

(Damn, Space Girl, you're good.)

_I have my moments._

Doug finally surrendered his questioning. "If you don't want to tell me anymore, I'll accept it."

"Fine. Now, did you bring the holos?"

"The what?"

(Photos, Mara, photos. You ain't in your Kansas no more.)

"Photos, I mean."

"Yeah, I'll get them."

As he disappeared into the hallway, she sat in a cushioned chair opposite the plain beige couch. It took him a minute to return with the same folder she saw at the police station and an additional folder with it. He sat them down on the coffee table in front of the couch, clearing away a half-filled mug first.

"Go ahead and look at those. I hope you're not queasy. I'm not. My job hardened me a while back with graphic images. I have to tell you that just by letting you look at these I could get fired. It's only because of my relationship with Mary that I'm doing this. Now, you look at those and I'm going to serve myself some dinner. I haven't eaten all day. Excuse me." He turned to go to the kitchen.

(Relationship? We didn't even have one.)

_I know. People who are as egotistical as Doug always have to call attention to themselves. You can't argue with them. They are always right. And they are never sorry._

(That explains the weird vibe I always got when we went out.)

_Ever think it could be loneliness?_

(Maybe. C'mon, let's see these pictures.)

Mara ignored the folder that she had seen earlier that day and picked up the new folder. She opened it and inside were a series of photographs taken at the scene. The first of which showed an unframed shot of Mary Jane sprawled on a ground that looked to consist of straw and soil. Her arms were stretched on either side of her torso, which was twisted to the left side. Her legs were spread apart in opposite directions. It certainly looked to Mara that Mary had fallen backwards on the spot. A blow from the front would definitely help her do that. Mary's position was one thing. What was dominant in the image was the head wound on her left side. Blood oozed out of the wound, but it didn't seem to reach deep. There was quite a pool of her blood spilled out onto the ground under her.

By instinct, Mara raised her hand to the left side of Mary's head. She hadn't noticed any scars there before. She felt around it and there was no evidence of injury, but when she applied pressure on the area where the wound would have been according to the picture, both she and Mary felt it. "Ouch!" (Ow!)

Doug yelled from the kitchen, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, just opening old wounds, same as I always do," Mara muttered.

(Wow, is that what really happened to me?)

_Apparently. I can see why you went into a coma._

(That horse must have been wild.)

_None of this is sparking your memory?_

(Not this part. I remember Deke warning me about the horse before I went to that stable.)

_And we see how well you listened._

(Yeah, like you never ignored any warnings in your life.)

_I followed most of them._

(Except the one you selectively forgot. 'Hey, watch out for your nephew. He's a bad guy now.')

_Don't go there, Mary Jane._

(It's dropped. Let's see the others.)

Mara flipped through the other pictures, which were just different angles of the same scene of Mary on the ground. One did show the horse with a couple of men obviously trying to hold it down. Another picture was a close-up image of Mary's wound itself. Mara's first assumption was correct. The blow looked to be more of a bruise that broke the skin and bled. It probably looked worse than it was. Aside from the coma.

Doug came back into the main room with a plate of food that mimicked the same color as the wound. It did not faze Mara and she mentioned to Doug, "The wound doesn't seem that bad. There's a lot of blood, but it doesn't look like it went below the epidermal."

Doug said after he chewed on a piece of sausage, "No, there were no arteries damaged. I'm guessing you felt around the wound now and it hurt."

"Yes. Amazing that it could heal so much in a year. And there's no scar."

"Well, if it doesn't break the epidermal, there wouldn't be one. My guess is pure blunt force knocked you, er...Mary into a coma." He paused and said, "I can't get over that you are a whole different person inside Mary's body. And you have your own memories as well as hers? Or at least however much she remembers?"

"That's rat," Mara reverted to her accent.

"And you researched her enough to mimic Mary's speech. That, along with the get-things-done-now attitude, and the attention to detail...you must have been into espionage." He ended the sentence with a mouthful of twirled pasta on his fork.

Mara instinctively gave him a brief look for a fraction of a second, and then cursed to herself.

(What's wrong?)

_What I just did is a tell all sign that he's correct._

(But, you just looked at him quickly. How can you tell he knows?)

_Look at his expression now._

Doug smiled as he chewed and nodded. "I knew it. You were a spy, weren't you? In another life?"

Still looking at the pictures, Mara replied, "If you don't want another life right now I suggest you don't find out what I'm capable of."

"Ooh, a threat. You going to use your highly fatal spy tactics on me?"

She looked up at him and requested, "Throw me that knife."

"_Throw_? Don't you mean hand?"

"If I meant to say hand I would have said so. Throw it at me."

Doug shrugged and picked up the steak knife near him and hurled it at her with a sloppy throw. She meant to catch it on the fly by the hilt, which she did, but it required more concentration. The instant her hand caught it, she turned its direction to fling it back at him. The point landed on the extreme edge of the wooden chair that Doug was sitting in. It missed his left arm by a fraction of inches.

Mara announced, "I think that's enough spy tactics for now."

(Wow. That was cool.)

_You must have missed the same thing I did to Tommy yesterday._

(You threw a knife at Tommy?)

_At the wall a foot above his head. Nowhere as close as I just did with Doug._

(Serves him right.)

Doug was still frozen in shock looking at the knife that just missed him. "Ok. That will be the last time I ridicule you."

"It better be. Do you have an ampliglass?"

"A what?"

(I think you mean a magnifying glass.)

Mara repeated, "A magnifying glass."

"Oh, yes." He turned and went to a desk near the front door and pulled out a drawer. He took out a small black cylinder and handed it to Mara. "Here, these are easier to use with photos."

She took it and saw in between the black metal casing there was a curved glass inside. Just like an ampliglass she was used to in her own galaxy. _You people on Earth have strange alternate names for the same things we have. _She wanted to say it but rather said, "This will work." She placed it in one eye and then used it on a particular photo. "Did you notice on this one of the rear of the stable that there is a huge gap in the wood on the back wall?"

"Actually, I did. I was the first one to notice that too. Nobody would have noticed it otherwise."

Mara did a mental eye-roll at his show of ego. "Did you notice the car parked in the extreme background?"

"Yes. Whoever parked it there tried to be inconspicuous. That red and white stripe stands out a bit. I can't tell what kind of car it is."

"A Dodge Viper," Mara answered quick.

"How can you tell? I only saw the colors."

"The curve of the stripe along the side makes it."

"Well, we didn't get that. We couldn't find a license plate either. Too far away. We dismissed it as coincidence."

"You are so sure it's not related."

"I just said I was."

"That wasn't a question." Mara stared at the photo for a moment while Doug kept eating.

(What is it, Mara? I haven't seen you this focused before.)

_I'm just in my natural element, Mary. I've missed it._

(You know somethin' about that car that he doesn't, don't you?)

_I'll tell you about it later._

Mara then spoke. "Let me look at this report. I didn't get a chance to really read it at the station." She set the photos aside and picked up the one page report. She read the time frame of events according to the witnesses.

**16:50 - Mary Jane arrives at Evergreen Stables with Deke Werner. Luke and Lynn Wallace were already present.**

She had to ask, "What is this 16:50? Is that a time?"

Doug questioned, "You were in espionage and you don't know military time?"

"I never said I was in espionage, did I?"

Doug frowned. "Military time. Just subtract twelve from the first set of numbers."

Mara stated, "Four fifty in the evening." Before she read on she thought to Mary, _Luke and Lynn were already at the stables?_

(Oh yeah. Luke and Deke know each other before I knew either of them. I met Deke through Luke, in fact.)

_Why were they there that day?_

(I don't know. Probably to tell Deke of another lame-brained business idea.)

Mara took that in and read on.

**17:10 - Mary Jane proceeds to Stable 2 despite Deke's warnings of**_**Crescent Fire**_**, the wild horse in question.**

**17:42 - Deke, Luke, Lynn hear Mary Jane scream from Stable 2. Deke runs to Stable 2 from Main Stable - roughly 100 yards.**

**17:55 - Deke is first to the stable. Finds Mary Jane on ground. Blood from head wound. **_**Crescent Fire **_**is bucking wildly and later put to sleep.**

**17:57 - Deke calls 911 from cell and ambulance is on the way.**

**18:15 - Ambulance arrive and take Mary Jane to St. Elizabeth's. Mary Jane Skyler is currently suffering from coma due to injuries.**

_Do you remember this time frame, Mary?_

(I remember Deke taking me and getting there. I was none too happy to see Luke and Lynn there. Deke told me about his new horse he bought. He said her coat was black as coal. I wanted to see it but he warned me that it hadn't been broken in yet. I felt like I could tame him. I walked to the stable...)

_And then?_

(That's just it. My memory ends there. It's all blank like it's all blocked out. The next thing I remember is you playing _Box of Rain _in the car. And then all the memories of mine and yours came floodin' in.)

_All except this one moment. Some part of you doesn't want to remember. Why?_

(I wish I could tell you.)

Doug suddenly blurted, "Penny for your thoughts."

Mara sneered, "My thoughts are worth quite more than a penny."

"Boy, you are a real challenge to speak to."

Mara chuckled, "If only my husband could hear that now."

"At least you're not as timid and shy like Mary was. It was a little frustrating because she hardly ever talked."

"Maybe she was a good listener?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought. That's why I kept trying with her. I haven't been successful with women in the past. I thought I had at least a chance with Mary. Women don't listen to me. Mary even finally stopped calling. Just like the rest of them. I just couldn't get Mary out of my mind. She may have been quiet, but she was sweet. Innocent. After I heard she was in a coma, I almost forgot about her. Until I saw her at the police station earlier today. Just seeing you...her standing there, I thought things could be brought back to the way they were when we dated. I guess I rushed things, huh?"

Mara replied, "Of course, you did. But, it's understandable. I know what it's like to hide strong emotions for someone."

"Yes, but I hid mine for almost two years."

Mara sniffed, "Try hiding them for a decade and then we'll talk." She watched as Doug pushed his plate away and then wallow in regret._Ok, Mary, what's it going to be? Do you want to continue seeing this guy or dump him permanently? Because I can make it so he doesn't call on you again._

(No, you don't have to do that. Tell ya the truth, I did like him. He just seemed too lonely living alone and all.)

_Alone and lonely don't always mean the same thing._

(I don't know. Are you making me decide this now?)

_No. I'm sorry. Why don't I make it ambiguous?_

Mara sat the report next to the photos. She already committed it and the images to memory. She addressed Doug seriously. "Look, I think it's time I head out. I want to thank you for the risk you took in showing me these. They will definitely help."

"I don't see how. It was just a wild horse. I mean she did spend some forty minutes with the animal. She must have done something to disturb it. She tried to ride it and got hit."

"That forty minutes with the horse doesn't concern me. It's the thirteen minutes between her scream and Deke finding her that I want to know about."

Doug looked in the direction of the photos on the coffee table. "Maybe it's good that you or Mary don't remember. Something that was traumatic enough to put you into a coma may be worth forgetting."

"Maybe. I still think something else happened."

"What makes you so sure?"

"A hit on the head like that was done by an animal?"

"You'd be surprised at how strong a horse's back kick can be. And those hooves are pretty tough, too."

"We'll see." Mara collected Mary's purse and reached for her keys. "As far as Mary is concerned, I can't promise anything. It does seem like Mary did want to continue something with you. She's been burned before badly, so you can't blame her for being timid and shy."

"I see. Can I ask something? With you, Mara Jade, in her body, where exactly is Mary Jane?

"She's still deep inside."

"Interesting."

"Well, I'm off. Thanks again for everything. And if I have any more questions I'll call you at work.. And...who knows...Mary may call you at home. Someday."

"Thanks. And be careful."

She exited his apartment and reached the Mustang to sit in the drivers seat.

(Ok, spill. What was it about that car?)

Mara spoke to Mary this time since they were alone. "I didn't want to get into it in front of Doug. Too much to explain. I could see the markings faintly. I only knew it was a Viper because of who owns it. A red one with a white stripe on the side. There's only one person who owns a car like that, who will not let anyone else drive it, and who has direct ties to you."

(Who?)

"Who was supposed to be in New Orleans at the time of your accident?"

(Victor!)

* * *

**Part 5: The Unusual Suspects**

**COMIN' SOON!**


	6. Perchance To Dream

**Part Five: Perchance to Dream**

_The music filled her soul with a passion she once knew. The intertwining guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums combined to make one continuous melody with harmony interplayed beneath it. She danced to the notes as she once had with a new found freedom. The stormtroopers in attendance were all in tune with the jamming music. The sound of their white armor clicking as they moved reached her ear to add to the mix of swirling sounds surrounding her._

_While the music did not stop, she suddenly did. She had a sudden urge to get her message out. It was the witching hour and the Emperor had not had his supper yet. She stammered against the crowd of troopers, still admiring their loyalties. Once she was free of the dancing group, she made her way to the stage and climbed the ladder to the platform. No hesitation was within her. She was determined. It was time to get this Ewok off her back._

_The band stopped playing. Jerry and Phil bowed to their new mistress. She was their box of rain. She took the microphone in hand. The stormtroopers froze in time, their transmitters out of commission. They stopped to hear what she had to say._

_She spoke majestically. "I wish I was special. What the Hell am I doing here? I don't belong here."_

_The silence greeted her like water to oil. She bows to them in turn and she exits stage left. She opens the back door and the light outside burns her passion away into ashes._

_She walked through Paradigm Park. The Coruscant air brushed back her childhood memories. There were crowds of people walking around her with precision timing. They were in haste for the feast. There were too many people on the land of Coruscant. The carnival next door was shutting down._

_She yelled out them, "Shouldn't you people be in the air where its warm?" She looks up at the divided sky. _

"_Sky," cries Mary._

_A randomly selected citizen of Coruscant approaches her. "Miss, you look like Death warmed over."_

"_I've met Death. She is such a lively being. Past, present, future–all terms to describe Time."_

"_Yeah, but you can't disrupt the flow by walkin'. You need to sit, child." The citizen walks her to a nearby bench where she complies to sit herself down. She sits alone with a stare that would freeze carbonite._

"_There," says the citizen. "You are just where you ought to be. Now, just sit there for the horizon to set and your soothsayer will return momentarily. Cheerio!"_

_She watches the people rush past her with benign interest._

_A familiar blonde-haired man with a red headed child in hand nears her. The boy has a firecracker in his hand that is lit. He throws it in the air. BANG!_

"_Very well done, Ben," says the man. "You have grown in the Force stronger than I have foreseen."_

"_Luke!" she yells from her permanent position. She runs to him and wraps her arms around his heaving chest. "Oh Luke, I thought I'da never seen ya again. I'd been missin' ya forever. I reckon you missed me. Didja? Didja?"_

_The man she called Luke abruptly pulled her away from him. "Miss, I know not of your identity. You have mistaken me for someone else."_

"_No! I am your wife." She looked down at the child. "And your mother."_

"_That's not true. That's impossible!" the man says._

_The child spoke in the thin high-pitched voice of a seven-year-old, "My mommie had red hair. You have dark hair like my cousin Jaina, the Sore of the Magi."_

"_That's Sword of the Jedi, Ben," the man corrected._

_She looked down at her hair. Black. "No! This is not me. I am not who you are seeing."_

_The man ignored her and spoke to the child. "Ben, did you bring your toys?"_

"_Everything but the blade. It's no fun without the blade."_

_The man scolded, "Ben, you have to concentrate. Remember to remember. You can't forget that." _

"_Remember to remember the blade. Got it! What's next on the syllabus, father?"_

_She interrupted them. "Wait! I am Mara Jade! You have to believe me."_

_The man says, "I believe you'll find the one who believes you is inside that hut down there. Now, if you'll excuse us, me and mine are late for the funeral. And I can already tell that Death knows you like the back of her hand." The man turned with his child and said to him in passing her, "Now practice, Ben. Let the walk flow through you."_

_The sound of the man's voice was fading away into the cave and she turned around in the forest to see strange creatures attached to the branches. She couldn't feel. The moonlight shone amidst the darkness that was._

_"There is no dark side of the moon, really. Matter of fact, it's all dark," Mary noted._

_The light did show her the way to the hut the man spoke of. There were two dog-like beasts with fatal tails whipping about guarding the entrance. She edged closer to the hut._

_She stopped at the beginning of the door. The beast on the left crackled, "There are no accidents when strangers are lurking."_

_The beast opposite announced, "If you should find one, you will be rewarded."_

_They then both said in unison, "Remember to remember..."_

_A hooded figure suddenly came out of the door and grabbed her arm gently. "Ah, the Blade. So good of you to come." The figure led her into the hut._

_She corrected the figure whose face was obscured by the green fury hood, "It's Jade. Not Blade."_

"_Whatever. Now you will meet the proprietor. His supper's ready. And things are gonna be all right. There he is. As sure as eggs is eggs. Behind the bar. Can you see with your focused eyes?"_

"_I see. I will go to him."_

_The figure disappeared and she slowly approached the bar. There was strange music playing and she noticed a few Bith wailing on their instruments. On the stage in the back, there was a green-skinned Twi-Lek dancing around a red-gold pole. She watched as she still neared the man behind the bar. The proprietor. She now gazed at his looks and instantly recognized him._

"_Palpatine!" she cried._

"_Why, hello Mara. How nice of you to join us. Care for an ale? I know how you used to love them in your youth."_

"_You have no cloak. Nor a cane. You are younger. Why?"_

"_My dear Mara, the past, present, and future all define Time. I thought you knew that."_

"_You know me? You can see me underneath?"_

"_Of course, my dear. And I must say that disguise is much more effective than any of the layers I gave you."_

"_Really? Sometimes I don't feel like myself. If I could be who you wanted all the time..."_

"_Nonsense, Mara. You are as strong now as you ever were. And it's good that you dropped by." He poured an ale from a tap to give to a patron. "I have a mission for you."_

"_A mission?"_

"_Yes. A task of the utmost importance. There is an ancient dagger I need you to fetch."_

"_A dagger I see before me?"_

"_That's the one."_

"_But the blood will not come out. I try and try but it's no use."_

"_Do not worry yourself about that. Blood is your friend. Blood will allow you to come back. It will be your reward. Once you remember the dagger and place it in my possession, we can rule time itself. We will walk to flow around it. But, you must always remember to remember the..._

(Wake up, Mara!)

Mara shot straight up from bed in a daze from the images she saw in her sleep.

(Wow, girl, you have some freaky dreams. I never was able to remember mine. As soon as I woke up, they'd be gone.)

Mara looked around at her reality again and said, "Unfortunately, I always remember mine in excruciating detail." She paused and muttered, "Remember to remember."

* * *

_Creep_ and _Fake Plastic Trees _- words and music by Radiohead (Thom E Yorke) 

_Supper's Ready_ - words and music by Genesis (Gabriel, Banks, Rutherford, Collins, Hackett)

**Now...coming soon...Part 6: The Unusual Suspects**


	7. Unusual Suspects

**Part 6: The Unusual Suspects**

Mara shook off the analysis of her dream, though Mary kept attempting to translate.

(There were definitely comparisons between your world and Earth. Your former boss, the Emperor was an owner of a bar like Deke. That firecracker that your Ben had was like the one mine had a few weeks ago.)

"Those were the obvious comparisons," said Mara before she splashed cold water on her face. "You didn't understand the more subtle hints?"

(Like?)

"The fact that neither my Ben nor my own husband recognized me."

(Well, that was just saying you look like me but you certainly don't act like me. People notice that. Deke did, and so did Doug.)

"When did you become so analytical, Mary?" Mara's words were muffled under the towel.

(I dunno. I guess since I knew you. You are kinda rubbin' off on me.)

"Wonderful. Does that mean I'll start being timid and shy?"

(I don't think I could ever be that way anymore.)

"Maybe not."

Mara proceeded to get dressed and went into the kitchen where Emma and Ben were feasting on a box of Krispy Kreme donuts. Ever since Mara had been introduced to them, she was instantly addicted. Mara rushed to grab one and chomped.

Emma said, "I didn't get to talk to you last night. I was tired from treating my patient."

Mara looked over at Ben and saw that his eye was a little red but looked much better than it had the previous day.

Emma went on to ask, "How was Doug last night?"

"He behaved himself," Mara answered after swallowing another bite.

"How many questions did he ask?"

"As many as I let him."

"Oh, I bet he was not too happy with that."

"Yes, Doug is into the details."

"I think his job makes him like that."

"Actually, I think he's good at his job because he's like that." She finished her first Kreme and went for another. "Stang, I wish we had these in my galaxy."

"Yeah, I didn't feel like cooking so I went out and got these." Emma sipped her coffee and then asked, "You taking Benjamin to school today?"

"Sure. I have nothing planned until work later today."

"Did you find out more about Mary's accident?"

"I did. I plan to find out more tonight."

"But, you're working at Fantasma's tonight."

"Yep."

Emma's eyes widened. "You think someone in Deke's group is involved?"

"That's on a need to know basis."

Emma sighed and frowned. "You really were a cold hard assassin."

"I didn't mean it like that, Emma. The less you know the safer it will be."

"Just be careful."

"Always am."

As soon as Mara and Benjamin climbed in the car, Mara sat in the drivers seat unmoved with no intention of starting the car. Ben stared at her. "Are we going?"

"Sure. Right after you tell me how you got hit."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Fine. I don't have to be anywhere until three. Though, I think that will make you rather late for school."

Ben gave a deep exasperating sigh and admitted, "It's this guy at school. He hates me for no reason."

"You know, where I come from we used to call his kind bullies. He hit you yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"Did you hit him back?"

No. I wanted to. Mama says fighting back is pointless. She said the best thing to do is to just ignore him and he'll go away."

_Congratulations, Mary. You've taught your son the Luke Skywalker method of fighting._She questioned back, "And did he?"

"Not really. He's waiting for me again off school grounds."

Mara started the car. "Ok, let's go." She sped out of the driveway and was on the way to his school.

"Can we go in the back way?"

"Why, so he can just meet up with you later on today anyway? Now, _that_would be pointless. No, you are about to learn the Mara Jade method."

"Please tell me you're not going to fight him. Do you know how that would look if my mom does my fighting for me?"

"Didn't say I was going to fight. That would be over too quick. No, we are going to do something much worse to him." She sneered in confidence but she could tell Ben was cringing with self doubt.

She turned at the street where his school was a few blocks down. Ben pointed out, "See that abandoned Exxon station? Yep, they're there already. Waiting for me."

She saw further down and spotted a group of seven guys gathered around a large pick up truck. The tallest of the bunch had curly brown hair and was the only one speaking while the others listened. He didn't look tough, but his dress and stance were designed to make him look the part of a leader. "Wow, seven against one. They weren't going to make this fair."

"It's just with Scott. That's the tall guy in the middle who kinda looks like Matt Damon with bushy hair. He's sort of their leader."

"Yes, I can still spot them. All right, listen to me, Benjamin. You are to stay silent and let me do all the talking. Just follow my lead with whatever I say. Act as if we planned it all along. And I know this will be hard, but try not to look scared."

"I'm not scared."

"Your body language is saying something different. Fear is the ultimate ammunition for these types. Don't give them that satisfaction." Immediately, Benjamin straightened up in his seat. "Good. Now, I also want you to give Scott a focused look like you're angry at him."

"I am mad at him. I so wanted to hit him back yesterday. Somethin' stopped me."

"Good. Use that anger, but don't act on it. Just look at him like you could go off on him at any given moment. Let me see your look." She took her eyes off the road for a split second to look and she frowned. "Hmm, not so much as a scowl. Just look at him only with your eyes. Your eyes are knives ready to pounce on him. You understand?" She stole another look at him. Benjamin gave a blank, yet intense, stare that bordered on creepy. "That's it! Good. Now keep your eyes on this Scott at all times. No matter what he or I say. He has to know you're in control. That's what this game is about, Benjamin. Not just power, but the _control_ of power. You understand?"

"Yeah, you're making me beat him at his own game without actually beating him."

Mara smiled. "Go to the head of the class, Benjamin. And you're right, you're not doing any beating. Leave that to me, if it comes to that. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am. This won't make me late will it?"

"If Scott is the true coward I believe he is, it'll be over before you know it."

She reached the old gas station and she turned into its empty driveway and pulled in front of the group of guys. She watched their confusion at the strange black Mustang's sudden appearance. She felt the thrill of intimidation even without the Force. "You ready?" Benjamin nodded with his focused stare already worn. "Showtime." She got out of the car as Ben did the same. She shut the door and leaned on it with her arms folded. Ben came around to stand beside her mimicking her stance.

Before she could say anything, the leader, Scott, came forward and cried, "What the hell is this? Your mommy is going to fight me? Or is she here for your protection? Poor little shrimp, can't even fight on his own." He started laughing, so naturally, so did his disciples.

Mara announced with a hard confidence, "I'm not fighting you. I'm here to watch my son fight you. The only reason he didn't yesterday was because it caught him off guard."

Scott asked, "Why in the world do you want to watch?"

"I wanted to see how tough you are. I want to see how quickly you can beat up a boy who is twice as small as you. And since you have your audience behind you as back up, I'm providing the same for Benjamin."

"I thought he said his name was Spike."

"Sometimes," she replied. "It depends on his mood. Now, are we getting this over, or are you just going to talk him to death?"

"Hey, I fight who I wanna fight. Yesterday, I fought him. I was going to give him more today, but now I see he's a wimp. I wanna see what you got, now."

"No, you don't."

He reached closer to her. Too close. Just as she wanted him to do.

He threatened, "Maybe I want to see anyway. You come up here with your attitude and your sleek black car actin' all cool. I'm thinking that's just what it is. An act. I already beat your son up yesterday. I think it's time I take on his mother. What'dya think guys?" They cheered from behind him. "You see, they want to see it too. Your son went down with a whimper. The same way–"

"Oh, shut up!" Mara moved her leg in front of his to trip him toward her. She caught his shoulder and his right arm to bend it backwards against his back. She then slammed his torso hard to the Mustang's hood. She held his head down hard against the cold metal against his cheek. He was already grunting expletives at her which she ignored. It was his only offense at the moment. She looked back to steal a glance at his cronies. Sure enough, they had no clue as to what to do with their shocked expressions. Their leader was incapacitated._People here are not that much different after all._

She bent down to Scott's ear, but her words were loud enough for all to hear. "The only reason I didn't ram your teeth into the hood was because I didn't want to clean up blood this morning. You're not bragging now, are you, Scott? Not so tough when a petite, middle-aged mother has you pinned down, are you? Now that I have your attention, let's go over the ground rules. There really is only one. Leave Benjamin alone. It's not like I can stop him from fighting. He would rather fight someone who will be a challenge. And you are nowhere near a challenge."

He started cursing at her and exclaimed, "I'll kick your ass!"

Mara said casually, "But, Scott, isn't it obvious that _I_ am the one kicking yours now?" She bent his arm back further and he cried in pain.

"This is harassment! I'm under age. You're beating up a minor."

"You're welcome to report me all you want. Who are they going to believe first? I'm sure any one of your followers here would love to tell how you fought your way out by being a tattle-tale. But..." she leaned closer to his ear and whispered coldly, "if I hear you even touched Ben again, I will make sure you will feel what it's like to eat your meals with a straw for the rest of your life. Tell me you understand."

"I understand," Scott repeated weakly.

"I don't think your friends could hear you."

"I understand!"

She let go of his arm but turned him around and threw him to the ground. "Good. I so hope you remember what I said."

He coughed and still attempted his feign at confidence. "You mean your threat."

Mara stated back coldly, "That wasn't a threat. It was a promise."

Scott suddenly looked at Benjamin who was still wearing his focused look that also had a hint of satisfaction. "C'mon, Spike, don't let your mommy fight your battles."

"She didn't. You fought your own. And besides, she ain't my mama. This here is Mara Jade. Trust me when I tell you that you don't want to cross her. So, that means you shouldn't cross me."

"Why...you...," Scott sprang up from the ground and lunged at Ben quicker than Mara expected. She was prepared to counteract, but Ben was ready. He didn't punch back. He never even laid a finger on Scott. Ben just used Scott's momentum against him and simply stood aside at the last second of Scott's attack. Instead of hitting Ben, Scott ran head first into the tire rim of the Mustang. He knocked himself back to the ground almost comatose.

Ben gave a slight kick at Scott's leg. "Who's the wimp now?"

Mara could not help but to feel proud at the moment. She smiled and said, "Let's get you to school, Spike." She winked at him and he smiled back at her as they got back in the car. She did not need the Force to tell her that confidence exuded from Ben just from watching his walk back to the car.

After she sped off, he cheered, "That was cool! Did you see how I used his power against him? He hit the damned car! That was awesome! _You_were awesome."

"Thanks, but you could do without the curse in saying that." She saw his apologetic look and said, "Just kidding, Ben. You deserved it. I don't think my own son could have done better."

""Now Scott's really going to have a rep. Beat up by a mother and he knocked himself out. Cool!"

Mara pulled into the school's cul-de-sac to drop him off, Ben said to her just before he exited the car, "Thanks, Mara." And he got out.

She watched him disappear into the crowds of students. She held back tears for the time being at not having the chance to see her own Ben walk to school. She brushed that thought away quickly. She had to prepare herself for what she planned to do with Victor at work that night. She had her own bully to deal with.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Mara set out to work at Fantasma's. She entered in the back entrance after she parked in the alley. She came in through the rear entrance and greeted Chappy with his joyous manner. She changed in her work clothes in the restroom and headed out to the main area. There were a good number of customers already on a Friday afternoon. Sheila was already dancing for them on the stage in the rear of the room. At this early hour she was still clothed. She took over the serving duties from Deke himself. She could not escape the image of him pouring drinks compared to the similar one in her dream with Palpatine doing the same. At one spot on the main floor, she stopped cold. This was the place where Gustavo had taken his last drink. Naturally, there was no evidence of the violence that took place there only two days prior. Deke could hide the aftermath of his business rather well, but not from Mara Jade. 

After all the customers were well served, she started to clean glasses. Deke finally came over to greet her.

"Mara! How you are? You like days off?"

"Sure."

"You find many things to do?"

"And more"

"Ah, good. What things you do?"

"Deke, if you already know where I've been, just ask me."

"Ok. What were you doing at the precinct downtown?"

"News travels fast in your circle. Don't worry, Deke. It had nothing to do with you. I'm still researching Mary's accident."

"Hmm, I hope you know certain subjects you discuss with officials involving accidents, say two days ago, will not be as popular in here."

As Mara put the glasses away, she replied sweetly, "Smile when you threaten me next time, Deke."

"Mara, I tell you time again that I had no problem with Mary interfering with my business."

"And I've told you time and time again that I am _not_ Mary. She ignored your business because she didn't know how the inside works. You're now speaking with someone who was _on_ the inside. I was a part of it. I've dealt in violence that would make even you squirm. I also know the secret code of ethics that come with it. And I will spell out to you that I would never snitch you or your family out. What would it matter, anyway? We all know that you have official connections that told you I was at the precinct yesterday." She paused as she started to wipe off the bar. "I am leasing Mary's body for now. I don't know when that lease is up. I don't want to jeopardize Mary's life because of my actions. You can stop threatening me, not because of your trust," she looked him dead in the eyes and said, "but because it kriffs me off. And you don't want to see me angry, Deke."

Chappy passed by just in time to hear her and he followed with, "The lady hath spoken."

Deke didn't look thrilled at Mara's response, but he did express a sliver of admirability in replying with, "Yes, she has. Carry on."

Before he turned away, Mara asked him, "Have you seen Victor?"

"Why you need him?"

"Didn't say need. I _want_ to talk to him."

"What about?"

"About the average rainfall in Mobile. Do I need your permission on the subject?"

Deke gave a pause and said, "Victor will be in here later tonight. He has business–"

"Ah, that's all the data I need."

Mara spent the evening working and waiting for Victor. Work was her focus for a few hours as the crowds grew. She had to deal with lust hungry customers trying to get their own action with her. In the first week when she started working, Deke had given her permission to use force on those who tried to take advantage of her. There had been times when wrists or fingers were broken.

After Sheila started shedding clothes, the attention on Mara, or rather Mary's body, was diffused. After several hours, the crowd lessened from their bar hopping in downtown Mobile. It was near the end of Mary's shift when Victor walked in with some of his dark-skinned friends. One of whom she knew well. Marko was the thug who threatened Deke on Mara's first day in the club. The three men, including Victor, found an obscure table on the opposite side of the room from the bar. She went over to get their drinks.

Victor spotted her and exclaimed, "Hey Mara! Get us a round of brews, will you? Guys, this may look like our old Mary, but because of her accident last year, there's another identity under that skin. Fellas, meet–"

"Mara Jade," Marko interrupted. "We've met."

Recognition fell upon Victor. "Oh, that's right. She cleaned your clock a few weeks ago. She shot Dimitri? Well, Mara, you get around fast."

"I don't like to dawdle." Marko stared at Mara with an intense gaze. She intensified her gaze right back. "What's the matter, Marko? Need for me to clean your clock again?"

The third friend made the remark, "Marko usually gets a crack at the woman who cleans his clock."

Victor stood up and said, "No one touches Mara." He edged closer to her. Too close. "Except me, right?" He moved her backwards against the wall and pinned her left free arm to it. She could already tell he had his fill of alcohol that night. He kept on while his friends were rooting him on in the background. "Why don't I have a small taste of Jade?" His hands moved below her waist.

At first she was disgusted and was thinking he needed a reminder of the pain she sent to his groin earlier that week. Then, she decided to do something he wasn't expecting. And it would play right into her hands. She slowly brought her right arm up and around his back seductively. She also moved her hands down toward his waist. "Just tell me when it hurts." She stopped her hands at his belt and felt along its way.

"Yeah, that's it. I knew you would be tamed soon." By the time Victor was lost in his own world of pseudo-seduction, it was too late.

His face froze at the sudden pressure point at his stomach. He looked down and saw his own handgun he kept in his back belt directed at his spleen. One shot and he would be bleeding to death within hours.

"You should know by now, Victor...I don't tame easily." She pressed it harder against his gut.

"Ow...ow..ow, that hurts now."

"Thought this would get your attention. We need to talk, Victor. About Evergreen."

The unknown third friend remarked, "Evergreen. Idn't dat the stable where you went when Mary–"

"Quiet, Lude!" Victor snapped. He looked back at Mara. "Yeah, we can talk about that. It'll be a short conversation."

"I only need a few minutes to get what I need. In the back alley after closing." She stuck his gun back into his waist but in the front. Hard.

Victor grunted and said back to her, "I'll wear my best."

Closing on a Friday night was much more strenuous than Tuesday night. Chappy had finished in the kitchen and Mara finished up with the clearing of the tables. After Chappy left, Deke came out of the back office room with Sheila clinging on Deke's arm.

"You take care of closing, Mara?"

"I can do it."

Sheila spoke in her high-pitched voice, "Why don't you dance anymore, Mary?"

Instead of correcting her, Mara just replied, "My dancing days were over before they started, Sheila. Besides, you move pretty well up there." She wanted to tell her that a female Twi'lek on Ryloth would have been jealous of Sheila's dancing. That would confuse the blonde even more.

"Why, thank you. Deke, we going?"

"Yes, mishka. Here, take keys and I will be there in a jitt."

"A jiff," Sheila corrected. "When are you going to speak American?" She walked out the front door.

Deke spoke while Mara finished cleaning. "Victor tell me you found him."

"Yes. And depending on where he is, we are to have a meeting of our own soon. I lost track of where he and his friends went."

"Those were not friends. I think you may recognize one of them. You know what they talk about?"

"I just took their orders before Victor hit on me. Anything I should have been listening for?"

"No, no. Play nice with Victor, Mara."

"I always play nice, Deke." She put down the rag and looked at him. "Until it's time to not play nice, of course."

"Just remember, Victor have same attitude. Heh, that reminds me of old Ukraine saying." He spoke a phrase in his language. "It means to always remember and never forget. And if you can't remember, forget it." He laughed.

"The translation seems pretty short for what you said in Ukraine."

"Eh, translation is loose. In English it means 'remember to remember'."

She jerked her head up quick and gasped, "What?"

But Deke was already turned to the exit and said his goodbye.

After she closed everything up, she changed back into Mary's own clothes and headed out the back to the alley.

When she reached Mary's car under the dim lights of the alley, she saw Victor leaning against the passenger side door. She called out to him, "On time I see."

"I never forget a meeting."

"Besides the one where they passed out intelligence."

He chuckled without humor. "So...you want to talk about Evergreen. How much detail do you need, because I thought you would have gotten enough info from your police friend last night. What's his name? Doug?"

"How well misinformed you are. Doug is not my friend." She reached closer to stand before him.

"Oh, that's right. He's Mary's friend."

"The jury's still out on that, too."

"No kidding? I remember we were worried about him the first time Mary started dating him. Turns out he was only interested in Mary. Can't imagine what you two talked about."

"We looked at hol–photographs. Mary's injuries in detail."

"That had to be fun. Hope you weren't eating."

"It doesn't affect me. There was one detail in the background of the stable. A hint of red and white. A red Viper with a white stripe."

"How do you know it was mine."

"Did I say I did?"

He chuckled again. "We wouldn't be out here if you didn't. You can't prove it was mine. Remember, I was in New Orleans. I have a list of witnesses."

"Only the ones you could pay off to lie. And you're right, I can't prove it was yours. But, I don't need expensive equipment in collecting evidence. I have my well-tuned instinct. And it's pretty accurate. I don't have to speculate that it was yours. I _know_."

He stood up from leaning. "Uh huh. Well, let's see...how should I put this?"

The blow across her face hit her with such a sudden motion that it surprised her more than it hurt. His backhand went up in the air on the follow through. Her hand went to her cheek.

Victor replied to his own question. "That pretty much sums it up."

Instead of crying out like most females would in that situation, Mara actually started laughing. She savored the confused look on his face. "You were holding back, Victor. Why? Because I'm a girl?" Instantly, she took her fist and swung it hard against Victor's chin. He fell back against the car. She added coldly, "_Huge_ mistake!" As he rubbed his jaw and gave her a look of disgust, she went on. "I must have hit some truth there, or you wouldn't have attacked me."

"Maybe I just felt like hitting you?"

"Yes, just what I need. I already had a line forming in my own galaxy of people who wanted to hit me. Guess you're the first in same line here on Earth. It must be my magnetic personality."

"Or maybe you just enjoy pissing people off. I'm sure if you're here long enough that line will grow. Oh, and speaking of holding back..." He suddenly swung hard at her face. This time it was no slap. Mara went down to the ground from her backwards momentum. Before she could regain strength, Victor didn't stop at punching. He used his foot to kick her in the gut. She grunted in pain.

"Do you know how long I've wanted to do this? Let's put it this way," he said before landing another kick to her abdomen, "I would never want to hurt Mary. Unless it was a business decision. Mary never bothered us. She just went on with her life and ignored our world. Though, I always had the sense that in some way, she wanted to be a part of it. Her life was void of any adventure, so she hung around us to have that. Weird, huh?" He landed another kick. "Then papa suddenly was going to make her assistant to the club. That was all but an invitation to the inside. I couldn't have that. That was papa going too far. I made a decision to correct his mistake. Then, all Hell broke loose with Mary's accident. And a year later, you showed up in Mary's body. Don't ask me how. Must be some schizophrenic thing. And you go out and investigate. Papa told me you were this bad ass assassin in your world." Another blow in the gut and at this point Mary's body went limp. "Well, honey, you don't look the part now. In fact, you look like–"

He stopped talking at the sudden pull on his leg by hers making him fall toward her. He was about to swing his foot again, but Mara grabbed a hold of it in mid air and pushed up with all her strength to flip him backwards. He slammed hard to the ground on his back. Without giving him any time to recover, Mara flipped herself forward and stood before him. She grabbed the collar of his leather jacket and pulled him up to hurl him against the wall with a thud.

While this wasn't enough to weaken him, her next move remedied his will from coming back at her. She performed a roundhouse backwards kick that had the look of a ballerina in mid-air doing a pirouette. Her right foot came across the right side of his head with a crushing force. The momentum of her move kept her spinning, but instead of landing, her left foot came down lower and landed a blow just above his knee. A soft crack was heard and Victor yelled out in extreme pain. He fell to the ground but the building prevented him from lying flat. His cries of pain were left unanswered in the dark, empty alley.

After she landed, Mara went into a defensive stance with a slight bend in her abdomen due to his blows. She still exuded a confident spark when she finished Victor's sentence. "I'm betting...that you were about to say...that I look like _I'm_ kicking _your_ ass!" She let a moment pass before she noted, "You know...that would have been easier with the Force. But, it was still fun. Ow." She held her stomach. "Of course, I'm speaking only of my attacks on you." She sat down Indian style in front of him. He was still reeling in pain. "Now that I have your attention, let's talk. My bad ass assassin skills, as you call them, have told me a lot of things in the past few minutes. First is that you _were_ at the stables at the time of Mary's accident. You said the why. Now, I want to know how. What went wrong?"

Victor grumbled, "Go to Hell."

"Apparently, I was rejected even from there when I died. That knee looks bad. Maybe I can reset it." She reached at his knee and squeezed around the wound. His yells were excruciating, but satisfactory to Mara. "Ok, maybe it would be better if you were drugged. Not until I have answers."

He stayed silent, yet Mara took in effect that he was in extreme pain. She speculated. "Let me guess, you found Mary all alone in the stable. You confronted her about taking over, which is preposterous in of itself. And you hit her and blamed it on the horse."

He shook his head wildly. "No! No, that's not it. I got to the stable. I did plan to say something to her. To warn her not to cross me. But, when I got to the stable, she was already on the ground with blood all over."

"What?"

"It's true. I swear. I never touched her." His chuckle was laced with pain, "Someone got to her first. I had to get out of there because I was supposed to be in New Orleans. By the time I reached my car, the police had surrounded the area. I had to wait to leave. They would have seen me. I got sloppy, I admit it."

"Deke would have killed you if he found out."

"No. He would never kill me. Worse. He would banish me from the family. If he wanted to kill me he would have used Kivan or Nicoli."

"Did you hear someone before you got to the stable?"

"I heard Mary scream. There was no one else I heard. Except the horse. Hell, I believe it _was_ the horse. That damn thing was wild when papa bought it."

"What was she screaming?"

"Oh, no, I'm done answering until I get some help. This hurts like Hell."

"Should have thought of that before you attacked an ex-assassin." Despite her words, she lifted herself carefully without letting her own pain inside and held out her hand for him to pull up on. He was dealt a fresh bout of pain as he tried to put pressure on his knee.

Mara examined the wound. "Doesn't look like the cap is broken. Probably just out of its socket."

"Still hurts."

"The pleasure was all mine. And I guess I'm back to Square One with my investigation. Who else could have done this?"

"I keep telling you, it had to have been the horse. No one else was there or I would have heard them."

"My instinct says your wrong."

"Oh, and of course you're always right."

Mara thought of her line of thinking before she went off to kill her nephew. "Not always."

"Why don't you ask Mary's secret admirer?"

"Who would that be?"

"You're the ex-assassin. You can figure it out. Ah. I can't believe that last move you made. I will have to say it was effective. Though I was surprised your blow came from the right."

"Why is that?"

"You never knew that Mary is left-handed? You're right-handed."

"No. How could I? Who is this secret admirer?"

"Sorry, babe, you beat out all the info I'm willing to give tonight. Although, I don't think I can drive like this. You think you can find it in your heart to drop me off at Doc Givens? He's our family doctor and he won't ask questions."

"Family doctor. Emphasis on 'family'."

"Yeah, he could look at you too."

"I'll be fine. Get in if you can." She gestured toward the car.

Victor did get in with many yelps of pain. She did drop him off at the doctor on Old Schell and headed to Mary's home.

Mara limped inside and Emma had been lying on the sofa watching late night television in the family room. As soon as she saw Mara limping, she gasped, "Mara! What happened?"

Mara replied casually, "Oh, Victor and I used each other as punching bags."

"Oh my Lord. Let me go get an ice pack. For goodness sakes, I wish you can convince Mary somehow to get away from these people." Emma's voice was muffled when she disappeared into the kitchen.

Mara flopped on the sofa and cringed at the fresh pain. "If Mary can feel this pain as much as I can, she may not need much convincing."

Emma returned with an ice pack and placed it on Mara's reddened cheek. She ignored Mara's cry of pain when she suggested, "You are a mess. You sure you don't want to see Dr. Harris? You know he calls here sometimes to ask about you."

"No, I'll be all right. Would you believe I've had worse? Ironically, it was a few days before my death." She sighed. "In times like this I wish I had my husband's healing trances."

"I hope it was worth it. Did you get what you needed?"

"Sort of. Victor was there at the stable with intent on harming Mary, or at least warning her. Turns out, he never got the chance. She was already down when he got there. One thing I did note that I thought was interesting. Have you noticed I'm right handed?"

"I did. Mary's left handed. What does that mean?"

"I don't know. Just a bit of detail that I didn't have before. There's something there but it's not clicking."

"So, what's next? Besides a day of rest for tomorrow."

"Well, after I do rest and feel better, I think it's high time I visit the scene of the accident.

* * *

**Coming soon: Part 7: Loyalty At the Cost of Admiration**


	8. Loyalty at the Cost of Admiration

**Part 7: Loyalty at the Cost of Admiration**

Mara leaned forward in the driver's seat of the Mustang and received a fresh reminder of her encounter with Victor from the previous night. She winced in pain but kept her hands on the wheel.

(Hurts, don't it?)

"Only when I move. Why didn't you tell me Victor was stronger than he looks?"

(I figured you'd find out for yourself. Sorry I wasn't there to cheer you on.)

"It wouldn't have mattered. I'm just not used to fighting in such a smaller frame of a body. I would have taken him down quicker and easier with the Force. Plus, I'd be in comfort by now with a Force healing trance."

(Yeah, too bad. I felt a little of that power on the first night you woke up. That was intense.)

"Well, it's all gone now."

Mara kept driving on Airport Boulevard until the bustle of traffic and commercialism became the desolate green fields of a countryside.

(This road looks familiar.)

"I'm hoping there will be much more familiar to you once we get there."

(We're headin' to Evergreen, aren't we?)

"Give the woman the prize! I thought it was time I see this place for myself. And in the process it might jog your memory a bit."

(Do you think it will work?)

"You tell me. You're the one from here. I'm just the alien."

(You certainly don't look like one.)

"You got that right. I'm far from having green skin, a bulbous head, and big black eyes. I've seen what you Earthians perceive as aliens."

(I betcha don't have nothing that looks like that in your galaxy.)

"Actually, they do resemble the Bith species. I don't see them traveling this far, though. They're too busy playing in musical bands or acting in the theater. You have no worries."

(That's good to know. By the way, it's Earthlings.)

"Earthlings. I'm glad you showed up to correct me."

(I hope Mr. Avery is there.)

"Who's that?"

(The main horse trainer and head of the stable. He lives with his wife there. Boy, he's gonna be a mite surprised to see me.)

"And even more surprised when he finds out it's not really you."

(You can always go into Southern mode.)

"With all the help you gave me last night?"

(Hey, don't blame me. It's not like I coulda done anythin' anyway. You were holding your own. And with my body.)

"I still don't see how you can't speak through me sometimes."

(I swear I try, but sometimes I can't. If I'm lyin' I'm dyin'.)

"Please rephrase that."

(Sorry.)

"While we're heading there, tell me why you're so fascinated by these animals."

(They ain't just animals. They're creatures full of grace.)

"The ones that don't kick you in the head anyway."

(Well, that was a rare breed that Deke got from Lord knows where. If Mr. Avery had known Deke was bringing that untamed andalusian into his stable, he'd would have gone through the roof. He keeps mostly thoroughbreds for racing or just riding. Deke kinda forced that andalusian on Mr. Avery.)

"I hope you don't think I'm going to ride one of these things today. I'm in no shape to ride anything."

(That's ok. Just watching them is a treat.)

Mara turned right onto a rural route as Emma directed her. They traveled a few minutes on this road before Mara saw a wide area with the greenest of grass that opened out in the distance. The distinguishing mark were the high fences painted a brilliant white. As they reached closer, Mara could spot the animals on her left that she surmised as being horses. They were a variety of earth-toned colors, browns, blacks, and whites. Some had random multicolored spots and the rest were one solid color. As she drove along the field, there was a group of horses galloping along with her as if trying to chase her. Mara couldn't help but smile and see the admiration that Mary held for these horses. They projected a classic majesty within the action of their running. Mara remembered when she first saw a picture of a horse in the hospital where she woke up a month ago, she thought then that they resembled neelu on Tepasi. Now that she saw them up close, comparing them to the ungraceful and inactive neelu would be an injustice.

(There they are. Ain't they magnificent?)

Without thinking, Mara answered, "Yes they are."

Mara found the entrance to Evergreen Stables to be a white graveled pathway with a grand white and black arch that bore its name spelled out in iron. Mara turned at the entrance and followed the path going slow to take in the scenery. Horses were free to roam on either side of the path with only the white fences to acting as their boundary. She finally saw some humans amongst the horses either feeding or riding them. The driveway led to a larger parking area beside a large building that was twice as long as it was wide. Part of it had the look of a house and the last section was made up of a series of stalls. Mara saw various horses poking their heads outside some of the stalls. Mara found a space to park and she brought the Mustang to a halt.

Mara exited the car and stood to observe the scene. The glorious green of the hills were shining amidst the yellow mid-morning sunlight. She watched multiple horses trot here and prance there. It was the first moment since she had awoken on Earth when she encountered true peace and beauty. Mara also spotted a smaller version of the larger stable several yards away. She quickly judged the distance by sight and calculated someone who flat out ran to it from her current spot would take five to ten minutes to get to it. She filed that information away when she heard her alter ego's namesake being hailed.

"Mary Jane Skyler! Bless my stars, it _is_ you!"

Mara turned and saw a aged thin man perhaps in his late seventies limp toward her with the help of a cane. He had white hair speckled with grey and wore a bushy moustache that curled inward around his mouth.

(That's Mr. Avery.)

"Hey, Mr. Avery," exclaimed Mara in her Southern speech. Mr. Avery reached her and put his arms around her in an affectionate hug. "How you doin, darlin'? Didn't expect you back here so soon. Why, I would think this is the last place you'd want to be now."

"Aw, you know me, I can never stay away. Even a little coma can't stop me."

"I can see that. Gotta say, it's great to see you again."

"Thanks. I just felt a need to come here and try to remember."

"Yeah, I read about you in the _Register_ those weeks ago. Mentioned you had some memory problems."

"I did at first, but most are coming back to me."

"I seen ya eying that old stable out there. You know, I don't us that one anymore. Too small for the thoroughbreds. The mares like it when they're preggers cuz it's so remote away from all else. Plus, it's warm in there." He paused and asked, "You still puttin' together what happened to ya?"

Mara sighed, "Tell you the truth, Mr. Avery, I can't remember the whole thing. I remember walking out there, but after that it's blank."

"That sure is weird. By the way, people who've had serious accidents and comas on my stable get the privilege of calling me Herb."

"Ok, Herb," Mara smiled and nodded.

"Now, you're not lookin' to saddle up today, are you?"

Mara looked temporarily confused.

(That means riding a horse, dear.)

"Oh, no. Not yet. I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

"Well, I don't blame ya. Fact, I would think less of ya if you insisted on riding now."

"And you wouldn't have let me ride even if I did, rat?"

"Nope. For someone's been through what you did, I reckon it'd be tough just settin' foot here."

"I'm just tryin' to jog my memory." Mara had a thought and she asked him, "Where were you when it happened?"

He motioned to the large building to their right. "In there helping Martha with dinner that evenin'."

(Martha's his wife.)

_Thank you, I figured that on my own. You're not talking to a whomp-rat here, you know._

Herb continued. "It wasn't until Deke yelled for me that somethin' had happened to ya when I took off down there."

"So, you couldn't hear me scream?"

"From in there? Nah, too far away and inside. They sure did hear you outside, though. Noise down there echoes up here. How did you know you screamed if you didn't remember?"

Mara gave a shrug and mentioned, "It was in the police report. You say Deke came in to tell you?"

"He didn't come in. He yelled from outside. Him, I heard. Then he took off like I never seen a man his age run that fast in my years. That other fella went after him but he couldn't catch up with Deke. Must be the Russian in him. All kinds of determined."

"What other fellow?" Mara reverted back to her accent but Herb didn't notice.

Herb gave a sly look and answered, "Why, your ex, dear. That was some coincidence him being here same day as you."

"Luke," she spat the name. Mara almost chuckled. It was the same way she had once said the name eons ago during the Thrawn era. It was a time when she had hated Luke Skywalker with a perceived passion.

The thought was interrupted by someone calling for Herb. He just wasn't called by name. "Hey, daddy!"

"Hey, darlin'," Herb called back to a raven-haired young woman who was just coming up to them on a trotting brown and white-spotted horse. She halted the animal to the edge on the other side of the high fence before them. She spotted Mara and exclaimed, "Mary!"

"Uh...hey," Mara answered sheepishly, since Herb didn't say her name.

Herb questioned, "You don't remember my daughter, Cassie?"

Mara improvised, "Sure I do. Did you do somethin' to your hair, Cassie?"

The woman admitted, "Yeah, I darkened it since you saw me last year. I guess you didn't quite recognize me at first."

"It threw me off a bit."

"You getting back to riding, girl?"

"Not yet."

Just then, the horse Cassie was on suddenly lifted its head and whinnied. Mara jumped back.

Cassie patted the left side of it's long head. "Whoa, Bessie, it's just Mary. Sorry about that."

Herb noted, "I see you're a little apprehensive around the horses."

Cassie defended, "For God's sake, daddy, you would be too if you'd been kicked in the head by a wild horse and bounced into nowhere for a year. Give her some slack. Wish that crazy Russian never brought that damned andalusian here."

"He does own the place, sweetheart."

"I don't care. Stupid foreigner shouldn't be buying untamed horses." She looked over at Mara and said, "I'm sorry, Mary, I know he's your boss."

"Hey, he just pays me for my work. He's not anyone special to me."

Cassie smiled and said, "Good." She looked hesitantly at her and asked, "Would you...like to pet her, Mary?"

"Sure." Mara approached the fence and reached out her hand to the animal. She stroked her hand along the side of its head as Cassie had done. The horse nudged it's head along with her touch and it whinnied affectionately. Mara's smile came automatically. It was the first time since she woke up on Earth when she received this type of reaction from any living being from her touch.

Cassie remarked, "Aw, see, Bessie likes you, Mary." Cassie regressed into infant speak as she addressed the horse. "Yes, wittle Bessie ain't gonna kick Mare-we in da head, is she?"

Mara slowly retracted her hand and Bessie tried to follow it as if she already missed Mara's touch. "This one definitely has a better temperament."

Herb mentioned, "Well, you just missed Martha's famous breakfast. You want some coffee or somethin'?"

"No, I'm fine." Mara turned to look out at the smaller stable in the distance. "Actually, I wanted to go out there."

Cassie asked, "You _want _to go out there?"

Herb supplied his daughter with, "Mary's having some trouble remembering the accident, Cass."

Cassie gave Mara a look of pity that she so wanted to throw back in her face. That was how Mara Jade would have reacted. Instead, Mara kept up her role as Mary Jane and said, "It's true."

Cassie questioned, "You sure you want to remember something like that?"

Mara replied simply, "Sometimes, Cassie, it's good to remember bad things that happen to you. You'll know how to prevent them in the future."

Herb croaked, "Doesn't mean they still won't happen to ya."

Mara considered. "No, but it does give you the sense of hope that you can control them."

Cassie remarked, "Well, look who got all introspective after a year."

Mara smirked and replied, "Yeah, and it only took a coma to wake me up." Mara thought of something to mention and explained, "I'm not just trying to remember the accident. A few weeks ago I had some kind of vision of the stable, but there was someone else with me...before Deke found me. Did either of you notice anyone strange on the premises that day?"

Herb replied, "No, like I said, I was inside the house. By the time I saw you, you were already unconscious."

Cassie answered, "I was out house hunting with my husband that day."

"Of course," Mara sighed. _Another dead end._

(Hey, you can't get answers from everyone.)

_You never know where the answers are regardless of how unrelated the source seems._

Mara stated, "Well, I still would like to go down there."

Cassie suggested, "I can go down there with you."

"Thanks, but this is something I have to do myself."

Herb warned, "You be careful down there now."

After Mara spotted a gate in the fence where she could go through, she replied back, "As long as there's no more wild horses down there, I'll be fine." She started for the gate.

Herb chuckled back, "No, but there may be some wild men down there."

Mara retorted, "_Those_ I can handle!"

She opened the gate to pass through to the other side of the fence. She locked it back but she stood still for a moment.

"Okay, Mary," she murmured, "Memory Lane is around the corner. Where were you and Deke standing before you went off down there?"

(Not far from where we are now. I remember Deke mentioning the andalusian and I got excited because I've never seen one, so I took off to walk down.)

"And you can't remember anything after walking there?"

(Nope.)

"Then, let's see if history repeats itself."

Before Mara started down the way to the stable, she checked the time on Earth's version of a chrono, which wasn't all that different besides the symbols. She noted the time and set off. She had to dodge riders here and there towards the beginning, but soon there was no one surrounding her as she reached closer to the stable.

All along the way, Mary was silent. Mara finally reached the small stable and she rechecked her chrono. It took fifteen minutes by walking normally. She looked back up at the main stable and noticed that the path was on an incline with the smaller stable at the lower point in the valley. The downward direction would have helped with Deke's speed coming down there. She turned to look at the small stable.

"So, this is where it happened."

(Yep. That much I know.)

"But you don't remember this place."

(Oh, I remember it. I been here many a time. I just don't remember it on that particular day. It's like that crazy dream you had the other morning. It's all hazy.)

"Let's go inside and see if we can't shake anything out of that head of yours."

(Technically, it's your head too.)

"Dully noted, Ms. Semantics."

Mara edged to the front of the stable, which consisted of four stalls with two on each side facing each other. In between was a wide space separating the opposing stalls. She could tell from the untidy look to the building that it was mostly neglected. She started entering into the stable. Immediately, Mara recognized the area towards the rear of the hallway where the same body she was now inhabiting had been sprawled amongst the dirt and straw on the ground roughly a year ago. She looked at the rear wall and found the wide crack in the boards she saw in the picture. Mara walked over directly to it and bent down to peek through. The scene was filled with trees in a forest behind the stable, yet Mara could still spot a backyard to a far away house and its curved driveway. That driveway was where Victor had parked his Viper that day. She moved away from the crack in the wall to view outward to the exit. She surveyed the scene.

"The horse couldn't have been in any of these stalls. That wouldn't match up with the way you landed here."

(Yeah, there's a post on the right near the entrance. You could tie a horse to that. Mr. Avery prefers to use the stalls to keep a horse here for very long. I can see Deke going against that and using the post instead.)

"And Deke usually gets what he wants. Why am I not surprised?" Mara took note of the post on their right of the entrance. She looked to the left side and there was no post. There was something there that Mara couldn't quite place yet. Frankly, she was tired of guessing. Rarely had she been involved with an investigation with so little data to work with. She decided to try and change that.

"Ok, Mary. We're here. And nothing is jogging your memory?"

(No. Nothing.)

"What would you say if I said I didn't believe you?"

(What? I don't know, Mara. I can't remember. Why would I make that up?)

"Why, indeed, seeing as you have a perfect memory of my bout with Victor last night, or past birthday parties of Benjamin's. Any other detail about your life and you remember like it was yesterday. All except what happened here. Why were you repeating, 'don't touch me'? Was someone here you knew, Mary?"

(I don't know.)

"Victor is a creep, but he wasn't lying last night."

(How do you know?)

"It's like he said, pain is an effective truth serum. Someone had to have been there to force you to scream that. Was it really Deke?"

(No!)

"Luke?"

(No!)

"Who else, Mary? Doug?"

(I don't see how it could be him.)

"I'm just going through the possible suspects. I'm running out. Am I missing one, Mary?"

(I don't know!)

"Which is exactly where I think this investigation is going. At the corner of No and Where. I can't do this without your help."

(Do what? Investigate? As soon as you figure this all out you're as good as gone. You only think about you, Mara Jade.)

"You're wrong, Mary. I'm thinking about something more important than myself. Family. That's the only reason I'm doing this. I want to see my family again. If that sounds selfish, then so be it. If I had been dead decades ago as the Emperor's Hand or even Karrde's assistant, I probably wouldn't think twice of a family. I had no definition of it then. Hell, I most likely wouldn't even _be_ here if I had died at any other time than I did. But, you have your family here. In front of you. But, you hide from them. Your coma was the best thing that happened to you, Mary. It gave you the chance to literally hide within yourself. Do you like living vicariously through me? You think I like having you in my head while I live your life? You're right that I am as good as gone once I solve this, if that is what will happen. I don't care what form I'm in. I just want to go home. You want to escape from yours. Now, _think_, Mary! What are you hiding from me?"

(Nothing! I...I remember...the horse was wild and...and it kicked me–)

"Wait! I thought you couldn't remember anything past the walk here? That's quite a selective memory. I need for you to search for further details." Mara kept her voice even and calm, yet monotone. The same voice she would have used for interrogations.

(Mara, I'm not lying! I really don't know. I only know about the horse from what people have told you. I don't know! I wish I did! I'm sorry.)

Upon hearing the voice inside her starting to break, Mara ceased her interrogation. There was something else she had to consider. "Maybe you really don't know, Mary. Yet, something happened here that was so traumatic that you have blocked it from your memory. And I have no idea how to unlock it. That is entirely up to you, Mary."

Suddenly, a new voice coming from the entrance exclaimed, "Well, I didn't know you talked to yourself."

Mara turned and saw him. "Jeremi? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, uh, Mary? Or Mara?"

"It's Mara still. And I'm trying to jog Mary's memory and failing miserably."

"Interesting. Are you speaking to her like you're speaking to me?"

Mara sighed. "It's complicated."

"I have no doubt. Actually, this would be a great story."

"Yeah, go ahead and immortalize us. I'm sure Mary would love to become famous. Incidently, why do _you_ put up with this life, Jeremi? Why don't you write those mysteries full time?"

"Deke's money pays more," Jeremi shrugged.

"Yes, but writers usually have a higher life expectancy."

"I guess. I've been so loyal to Deke over the years that I can't just quit. I'm technically not part of his family. He just found me years ago when I was a kid who knew how to drive."

"Don't tell me about being loyal. I thought I was being loyal to my boss once, but in reality it was disguised betrayal on his part. He basically used me to his advantage with no real intention of reward. Being that loyal, Jeremi, takes part of your soul and removes your individuality."

Jeremi nodded as he took in Mara's advice.

She then asked, "Did you drive Deke here?"

Jeremi hesitated and looked up towards the main stable before he answered, "Uh, yeah, I brought him. He's up there with Mr. Avery."

Mara came up beside him and looked out across the hillside. "Did he introduce you to his daughter, Carrie?"

"Yeah, sweet girl."

"She is. Although, you probably had a hard time recognizing her. She was telling me her hair was darker a year ago and she lightened it."

"Yeah, it does look lighter."

"Deke isn't here, is he? You came alone."

"What?"

"Mr. Avery's daughter is named Cassie. And her hair is now black, so I don't know how it can be lighter than last year." Mara let a small pause in before, "Can we stop with the games, Jeremi? Why are you here?"

Jeremi let out a small breath of a curse and stated, "Boy, I'd hate to have you read one of my mysteries. You'd have it solved by page five. I hoped it would take you longer to figure it out. I had to go by your house and your mother, er, well Mary's mother, told me where you were."

"Why did you track me down?"

"I heard what you did to Victor last night."

Mara shot back, "He started it."

"That may be, but he's going to be in a cast for the next few weeks."

"Is his poor knee giving him problems?"

"He was livid, Mara. He tried to ask Deke to...well, he wanted to..."

"Put a contract out on me?"

"Pretty much. Deke wouldn't hear of it."

"I should say not. Deke loves Mary too much to get rid of me. And to think it took a whole month of being here before someone wants me dead. I'm slipping."

"You're right. Deke doesn't have the heart to kill you. But..."

"But, what, Jeremi?"

"He does plan to fire you."

**Coming Soon: Part 8: Accidents On Purpose**


	9. Accidents On Purpose

**Part 8: Accidents On Purpose**

The door to Deke's office slammed open, knocking Nikoli backwards and to the floor. As Kivan reached for his weapon, Mara Jade, in the form of Mary Jane, crouched low and immediately went into a forward roll to enter the office. As she flipped over, she grabbed Nikoli's gun from his waist, completed her roll, and extended her arm to aim straight at Kivan. The second of Deke's guards did not have time to fetch for his gun, but he reached for it anyway.

"Don't try it, Kivan, or I will have to hurt you," she exclaimed.

Kivan gave one questioning look at his boss to which Deke gave a slight nod. Kivan surrendered his attempt at retaliation with just that nod. Deke then addressed Mara, who was still in a defensive stance with Nikoli's gun pointed at Kivan. "You have interesting way of making entrance, Mara."

"Knock, knock," she dead-panned.

"To what pleasure do you we owe this outburst?"

"Why are you firing me?"

Deke chuckled. "You believe this woman? She is one who has gun pointed at my associate and she wonders why she is fired. I must say, news travels fast in your small circle."

"I have my sources."

Deke sniffed, "Do you think you can have civilized talk without a weapon?"

She eyed Nikoli, who was still on the floor, and then to Kivan in an obvious manner and shot back, "Can you?"

"You heard result of your meeting with Victor from last night, I think. I tell you to play nice."

"Too bad you didn't tell him the same."

"Hmph, I not need to tell my son that. He knows. Perhaps you two can–"

"Shut up! The banter portion is over. Why are you firing me?"

Deke sighed. "You are out of control, Mara. You are ticking bomb with no timer."

Kivan added vehemently, "A stick of dynamite without a wick."

"She get the point, Kivan," Deke stated. "We not know when you will blow."

"Only when I'm rattled." A pause. "You do know this affects Mary, too?"

"Yes, of course. But I am not firing Mary Jane, am I? Mary not beat my son to near pulp and put him in cast. And Mary never ask questions."

"Maybe that was her problem all along," Mara offered.

"Mara, please put gun down. I promise no one will harm you."

Mara did lower her arm, but still held on to the gun saying, "I've heard promises like that before."

"Mara, you know why I cannot harm you," Deke replied sincerely.

Mara nodded. "Mary." She hesitated before she asked sarcastically, "Is it love or something like it, Deke?"

Deke scowled at her but addressed his men. "Kivan, Nikoli...leave us."

Kivan looked at his boss with a worried expression and received another slight nod. Kivan went over to Nikoli to help him up. Nikoli was still groggy but got to his feet with relative ease. Kivan helped him limp out of Deke's office leaving Mara and Deke alone after shutting the door.

Deke looked down at Nikoli's gun still in Mara's hand. "What would you done if they started shooting at you?"

"Not miss."

"And then would you have killed them? Killed me?" Deke shook his head slowly. "Such rage."

"You know nothing about me!" she snapped.

"No? I recognize passion for violence. My own Papa handed that trait down to me. You witnessed my violence earlier this week with Gustavo. Once in while I needed to be grounded in reality. Something real. Mary was that. Mary Jane would harm no one but herself. She had no passion for violence. Mary hated confrontation. Is why I think Luke took advantage. After I have fits of violence, I would see Mary's smile and almost feel guilty at what I done." He added a chuckle. "Almost."

Mara remarked, "Mary Jane acted as your conscience."

"Yes. Perhaps. Then she had her accident and all Hell broke loose."

"How so?"

"I thought you not interested in my business?"

"When it involves Mary, I am. Since the two of us are sharing the same body and when I can't get an answer out of her concerning her accident."

Deke frowned in confusion. "You...can talk to Mary?"

"Only when she lets me." An awkward pause and then, "Don't ask. Why did all Hell break loose after her accident, Deke?"

Deke sighed heavily and explained, "As you may or may not know, I am no longer the, how you say..big cheese in Mobile. In the late eighties and early nineties I could control things in this city. Times have changed. The players today are more sophisticated. I am old relic to them who needs to retire."

"Who wants to retire you, Deke?"

"You remember those men you took out so simply the first day here?"

"Yes. Marko and his boys. What do they have to do with this?"

"You remember who they work for?"

Mara took a second for her recall to come up with, "Carlos. He's not a rival, is he? I thought you worked for him."

Deke slammed his hand hard on his desk. "No! I do _not_ work for Carlos. In old days he should work for me. Now, I am his competition."

"And if I remember organized crime politics, competition lives for it to be executed." Mara thought back to the previous night. She remembered who Victor's guests were at his table. "You don't think Victor has anything to do with it, do you?"

"I don't know. You saw who he brought in here so casually."

"Just what I was thinking." She took a small moment and stated, "Ok, you're paranoid of your son's acquaintances, who just happen to be your rivals. So is every other kingpin in any other city. I still don't see how that's connected with you firing me."

"As I said, Mara, I don't want you involved. I can't have you snooping around and asking questions."

"I'm only asking questions about Mary's accident in the stable that put her in a coma. You're speaking of something unrelated that I know nothing about, and I don't want to know."

"Yes, but...if anything happened to Mary...," he choked at the end of the statement.

Mara figured, "You're not firing me to get me out of the way. You're firing me to protect Mary." When he gave no reply, she shot back, "In case you haven't realized, Deke, I don't need protection."

"You may not. But, as you say, you are not in your own body. Can you guarantee you can perform your special skills with your same level, Mara?"

"I already have."

Deke scoffed, "Marko and Victor were practice. Carlos has many other skilled men. I prefer if you were not in the middle of something in Mary's body."

Before Mara could reply, the front door to Deke's office once again burst open and in charged the blonde-haired Jeremi. "It's my fault, Deke! I went to warn her. If anyone deserves to be fired, it's me."

"Ah, Jeremi. Yes, of course, it would be you to chase her down to warn her. How loyal you are. The circle is now complete as they say."

Mara suddenly chuckled loud.

"I say something funny, Mara?"

She replied, "No, it's just that phrase was something my father-in-law used to always say."

Jeremi went on as if neither had spoken. "Please don't fire her, Deke. Victor was out of line and you know it. This time he got a taste of his own medicine."

"It is not just Victor, Jeremi. It is a great many things you don't know. This is my decision. And you know how solid my word is."

Jeremi kept going. "Deke, you can't do this to her. I can't let you do this to Mary–I mean Mara."

"Nice slip of name, Jeremi. And _you_ can't let me? You have been with me for long time, Jeremi. Lately, I have found you slacking. Maybe it is your writing, I am thinking. Perhaps it is something else that has just woken up. But, know this...you keep up this begging and I fire two today. I can always find other driver."

"Deke, that's not fair."

Mara interjected, "Jeremi, stop! It's ok. It's done. Don't make it any worse for you."

Deke sniffed, "Yes, listen to Mara, who incidently sounds very much like Mary Jane. Without the accent, of course. We both know how you would follow that voice."

Mara questioned, "What does that mean?"

Jeremi replied, "Nothing. Just Deke trying to catch me off guard."

Deke stated, "Now, if you excuse me, I have work before me. Including hiring new server for tonight."

Mara sneered, "Good luck in finding one on short notice."

"Oh, you will see I have many resources. You not believe how many girls would like your position."

Mara suddenly flashed a memory of all the teens in her galaxy wishing they were Mrs. Luke Skywalker and their jealously of herself when she fulfilled that position. "Trust me, I can relate." She turned to Jeremi and said, "Come on, kid, let's get out of here. That is unless you need him today, Deke."

"No, he has day off. We have some deliveries coming in Monday, but today we have to prepare for big Saturday night here. Be glad you are not a part of that, Mara."

Before she could acknowledge it, Jeremi disappeared out of the office. Mara placed Nikoli's gun on Deke's desk. She was inside the doorway when Deke called out to her.

"What will you do now, if I may ask?"

Mara converted to Mary's Southern speak. "Why, Deke hun, I didn't think you kriffin' cared." After seeing Deke's shocked look in reaction to her sounding like Mary, she shut the door closed behind her.

She walked out into the empty main dining and dancing area of the club and found Jeremi already sitting at the bar. She sat on the stool next to him. Chappy was going in and out of the kitchen to prepare for the night's crowd. She looked over at Jeremi, who had his head in his hands. Mara made note of his mood and his actions as well as Deke's words that morning.

She looked around and asked, "Where did Kivan and Nikoli go?"

"Kivan went and took Nikoli to get his head patched up," Chappy answered as he was turning on the electric ad signs. "I take it that's your handiwork?"

"Guilty." She looked at Jeremi. "Hey, kid," she started, "it's not your fault. I was always rocking the speeder."

"The what?"

"Oh, guess you use a different vehicle with that expression."

"Boat. Rock the boat. And for the record, I'm not a kid."

"Technically speaking, I am mentally sixty standard years of age, so you are definitely my junior. I say standard years but that's based in my galaxy. I'm almost afraid to ask, but what is Mary's age in Earth years?"

Jeremi removed his head from his hands and said with a smile, "If Mary were here, she would ignore that question. She always said she was as old as she thought she was."

Mara sneaked in, "You seem to know all about Mary."

Jeremi immediately jumped off the stool and said, "I gotta go. I'll see you around, Mara. Or when Mary comes back." He went off to disappear around the front hallway.

"And he's off," noted Mara. Chappy appeared again from the kitchen with a few full bottles of liquor to replace. She said aloud to him, "I think I figured that one out finally."

"And it took you this long, Miss Mara?"

"Yes. I am slipping. Or I'm not up to my potential in Mary's body using my knowledge." She let a moment pass and then, "Well, Chap, if you haven't heard by now..."

"I did."

She timed holding out her hand with him finishing placing the new bottles away and he shook it. "It's been a pleasure, Chappy."

"Oh, you ain't goin' nowhere."

"Chap, I was just fired."

"Which means we'll have one of Deke's bimbos for a server tonight."

"And this body, Mary's, will not be back until she is."

"Eh, I never believed that. To me, Mary never left. She was always here." He leaned on the bar to come closer to her. "Do you know that you and Mary have something in common?"

Mara quipped, "You mean besides sharing a body?"

He chuckled and said, "Yes. Besides the obvious. The _oblivious_ never see the obvious. You have to see what's beneath the surface."

"Always have all my life."

"Have you? Both you and Mary make a huge difference in people's lives. Neither you nor Mary can see that."

He released her hand and she sparkled at him and simply said, "Thanks, Chappy." She lifted herself off the stool and headed toward the exit. "See you when I see you."

"Anytime, Miss Mara."

She opened the glass doors to the front entrance and saw Jeremi at the front end of his car with the hood up. He did not look too happy. She came up on one side of the car and looked in at the strange engine. She tried to joke. "You do know your car is belching steam."

"I noticed."

"I would help but I'm only mechanically inclined in my own galaxy. Ask me to replace a hyperdrive motivator and I'm your gal. These Earth mechanisms are totally foreign to me."

"I didn't intend for your help. But, since you're here, hold this up." He handed her a small silver cylindrical device that had an eerie resemblance to a familiar weapon. As he placed it in her hand, she had a flash of a question she asked a long time ago in a far away galaxy. Why?

_Lots of reasons. Because you earned it. Because you're on your way to becoming a Jedi, and you'll need it. Mostly, though, because I wanted you to have it._

She fought back tears from hearing the sound of Luke's voice echoing in her memory. She found the switch on the Earth device and flipped it. She half expected to see a blue-white blade emitting out of it. Instead, it was a harmless beam of light. A lantern. She was brought back to reality by Jeremi's sudden remark.

"What are you doing? It's a flashlight. Shine it right there, if you can." He indicated where and she moved the device to point directly there.

After a few minutes of fiddling, he yelled out in frustration to growl, "Ah, it's the thermostat. Dammit! I knew it."

"That sounds bad."

"It is."

"And I'm guessing it's not going to run anytime soon."

"You sure do catch on quick. Yeah, I'll have to get it towed." He reached into his pants pocket to pull out another device that Mara likened to a comlink. He pressed a few buttons and held it to his ear. He started to talk to someone on the other end. He was explaining the situation and asked when they could come. He was a picture of calmness until he yelled out, "Monday? C'mon, Johnny. What? I know you're booked up today. Oh. Greg's on vacation. And Neil is out sick. Only you today, huh? No, I understand. It's parked in front of Deke's place downtown. Hey, pick me up on the way here on Monday, will you? Thanks. All right. See you Monday." He clicked off the device and put it back in his pocket.

"Why can't you use the other car you drive? The white one."

"The Mercedes? That's Deke's. I can't use his. And I'm not about to ask him considering my indiscretion this morning. It's not in a popular spot, so it'll be ok here. If only I hadn't had to chase after a Mustang from Evergreen..."

"That was your decision."

I never saw anyone take off as fast as you did." He shut the hood closed and she handed him back the flashlight. He then looked at her and took a long breath before he begged, "Can you find it in Mary's heart to give me a ride home? I only live about twenty minutes away in Saraland."

"I think I can find a spot in her heart and my mind. I'm over here in the alley."

Jeremi locked the doors of his car and followed Mara to Mary's car. As he climbed in after her, he murmured, "I can't believe I tried to catch up to a Mustang with a Dodge."

"You seemed to be in a hurry even before you warned me."

"What's that mean?"

"Never mind."

She took off and Jeremi told her to get on I-65 North first. After his directions, they were silent for a while. Until Jeremi asked a surprising question.

"Why do you care?"

"About what?"

"Whether Mary gets fired or not."

"Things I do in her life will affect her."

"But, you have a whole other life now. Deke told me you died in your world."

"Getting kind of personal, aren't you Jeremi?"

"Am I? I thought I was just getting to know you. Finding out that's a hard thing to do. With you and Mary. For different reasons. I only want answers to questions I don't understand."

"Some questions are best left unanswered."

"And again with the cryptic. You really don't like giving information, do you?"

"Not to people I don't trust."

"You can trust me, Mara. I'm not part of Deke's family. Hell, I was born in Ohio. No Russian blood in me. I'm just trying to be nice and get you to open up a bit. That was the ironic thing about Mary. She could talk a stranger's ear off. But when she was around any of her immediate family she would clam up."

"You want me to be honest, huh?"

"It'd be nice for a start."

"I don't know if you'll believe me."

"Mara, I am a writer. I can make up stories wilder than yours."

"I don't know, Jeremi. It pretty out there. Not sure any writer can write this one."

Only one way to find out."

Mara paused to consider words and she came up with, "Have you ever loved something so strongly that you believed you could not live without it?"

Caught off guard by the question, Jeremi stuttered, "W..wow. When you open up, you go deep. And no, at this point of my life I can't say there is anything I love that much. Yet."

"Yet? What about family?"

He scoffed. "My dad jumped off of a building on purpose when I was five. My mom died of Cancer ten years ago in Cincinnati, which is why I came down here. I was barely out of high school then. I was in the right place at the right time to get me hired by the local gangster to be a driver. After that, I can't say that anything I try to love even survives."

"Jeremi, that's not true."

"Ok, so what is it that _you_ can't live without?"

"That's just it. I'm already living without them now. My husband and my son. Ever since I realized who I was after I woke up here and what I missed, I have yet to shake the feeling that I may never get to see them again. And I wake up here to find that Mary's ex and her son have the same names as mine. Luke and Ben."

"And you and Mary have the same initials. That's downright eerie."

"And though my body is dead in my galaxy, my spirit is alive inside Mary's body. I have no idea why I was placed in Mary Jane."

"Maybe you weren't placed. Maybe you are the otherworldly representation of Mary Jane. You two could be the same person living on opposite sides of the universe."

"I was never shy and introverted."

"Maybe that's not your dominant trait. You and Mary have opposite attitudes. Mary Jane was never quick or aggressive the way you are."

"And you called me deep? Wonder what your stories are like?"

"Mysteries. Solving crimes. Nothing really profound. I do have my own recurring character who solves them. I thought of a female Sherlock Holmes named, Shirley Locke. Cool, huh?"

Silence from Mara then a shrug.

"I guess it would have been cooler if you knew about Sherlock Holmes."

"I get the idea. Bet I can guess her description."

"I don't see how you can without reading one. Oh, stay on 65 until you get to Exit 13. The Saraland-Pritchard exit."

"Got it. Let's see...Shirley Locke has to be of small frame, long dark hair, and though she is highly intelligent her appearance doesn't give it off. Almost like an introvert. Am I warm?"

"You're too warm. How did you do that?"

"Because it sounds similar to someone we all know and love."

Jeremi frowned. "What are you saying, Mara?"

"I'm asking, Jeremi, why do you care?"

"About what?"

"More like _who_, isn't it? I'm wondering why someone would go out of their way to chase someone down to warn them that they've been fired?"

"I did that for you. No telling what you would have done to Deke and the rest if I hadn't."

Mara sighed. "Too weak, Jeremi. We both know that's not it. Your stopping at Mary's home to find her, your trek to Evergreen, your own character's description, Deke's hints, and your denial. It all adds up."

"If there's a question hidden in there, Mara, just ask it."

"Ok. How long have you had a crush on Mary Jane?"

Jeremi was shocked at the question. He turned silent and stared at the car floor.

Mara thought back to when she and Luke were an item in everyone else's minds except themselves. If anyone had brought it to her attention then, they would have risked serious injury. That was her answer then for everything. Violence. A passion for violence? She so wished she could have awoken herself earlier to the fact that she and Luke were always meant for each other. It was a concept that was foreign to her at the time. She and Luke had roughly twenty years together. Emphasis on rough. Being where she was now and why made her wonder if it could have been more? Twenty years wasn't really all that long. It could have been more time. And how much of those years had she and Luke really spent together?

_Too many battles._

She could almost feel the awkwardness Jeremi was feeling at that moment. She tried to smooth it over. "That was almost too direct, wasn't it. I'm sorry, Jeremi. You don't have to answer."

He finally replied with a strange question. "Are you Mary Jane now? Or are you Mara Jade?"

"What? I'm Mara. Do I sound like Mary?"

"No. Can you really talk to her? And can she see everything outside of her?"

"Unless it has anything to do with her accident at the stable she can recount everything. Why are you asking?"

"I guess I can be direct with you." He took a deep breath and confessed, "I've had a crush on Mary Jane ever since I first saw her."

Mara was impressed with his sudden honesty and asked, "And you haven't told her?"

"I tried to get her to read one of my stories and get the hint. She read one but the connection was lost on her."

"Men sure don't know much about women. In any galaxy. Women don't like hints. They need things to be spelled out for them no matter how obvious. The more you just hint at your feelings, the harder it will be for her to understand. Care for some otherworldly advice?" After he shrugged, she continued. "Don't wait for her to react, Jeremi. If she doesn't know your feelings about her through hints then she will never know unless you come out and tell her. Because even if you do manage to get together years from now and have this wonderful life together, you will always question yourself at how much longer you could have had with her if you told her sooner."

"That doesn't sound too otherworldly."

"Matters of the heart don't change much in the universe."

"Pretty good advice, too."

"I wish someone had said that to me long ago. Though, even if they had, I was too stubborn then and I would have acted on my rage. Funny how you don't think of these things until after your death."

"You're alive now."

"Through Mary. What happens when she takes back her life? Where do I go then?"

"You miss your home. I get that."

"No, Jeremi. I miss my family. They _are_ my home."

The sentence hung in the air of the car to be fully processed by both. They stayed silent until Mara spotted a sign that stated Exit 13.

"Here?" she asked to verify.

"Yes. Now turn left at the end here at the light." Jeremi continued to give Mara more detailed directions to his house.

Mara noted the area was much more run down and poverty stricken than she had been used to in Mobile. There were abandoned buildings, burned out frames of cars, and graffiti written everywhere possible. At various corners hung a groups of various thugs who eyed a spanking new Mustang invading their territory. "Lovely area."

"This is Pritchard. Drug Crime Central, Alabama. Saraland is further up."

Sure enough, the area did look better with more commercial shops and cleaner surroundings. Through more twists and turns that Jeremi directed her in, she eventually pulled up to a small one-level house similar to Mary's but with a garage instead of a carport. She parked in the driveway and they sat in silence once more. She suddenly blurted, "And that ends the Dr. Mara session for the day."

"I appreciate it anyway." He stared at her with a different look. She then made the mistake of taking his hand for comfort.

He wanted more than comfort.

Without warning, he suddenly leaned over to her with his arm extending behind her head. It was soon quite clear his intention was to steal a kiss.

He didn't succeed.

Mara jerked as back as she could in the tight area from his passionate lunge. "Whoa! Still Mara here, Jeremi!"

He suddenly realized what he was about to do and reverted back to his seat. He exclaimed, "I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was thinking."

"Yeah? How is it that I know _exactly_ what you were thinking?"

"It's just with what you said to me, and the fact that you are in Mary's body, I guess I couldn't wait to tell her. Well, maybe not so much as telling her than show–"

"Stop right there before you describe the visuals."

"Sorry. And you're definitely not Mary. Mary wouldn't have rejected me so fast."

"Jeremi, I didn't mean it like that. I may look like Mary. But that's only on the surface. Inside here is a woman who has the greatest husband in her galaxy. And she has a son who is quickly on the path to manhood. I know this situation is awkward."

"Actually, I have a heavier word for it. Let me break out my Thesaurus."

"That could be your remedy. Writing. If you can't wait to tell Mary, then write down your feelings."

He nodded and asked, "Do you want to come in for a bit? I can make us lunch. I promise I wont throw myself at you anymore."

"Only for lunch. I am hungry."

They exited the Mustang and Mara walked along a concrete path. She followed Jeremi along it and noticed a five-foot red wooden fence. He caught her staring at a five-foot red wooden fence that only reached halfway along the path to the front door.

"It's one of my many projects I have yet to finish."

She nodded but didn't have time to reply.

That was when she felt it.

She did not know why it had suddenly come back to her. Frankly, she didn't care. She only knew it had returned. And it was like she was greeting an old friend after an extended absence. She almost wanted to savor it's feeling if it wasn't designed to warn her.

Her danger sense told her to look back to the main road from where they turned from. It was only a half block away. She did so and saw a non-descriptive black car with darkened windows turning fast from the parallel road and onto the street where Jeremi's house sat. She could not see anything inside until she recognized something coming out of the back window that froze her blood.

Only for a second. "Jeremi!" she yelled and then acted. She threw herself at his back and they both went down towards the hard concrete of the path.

The multiple shots from the high-powered gun she spotted echoed loudly in her ear and created destruction against the front of Jeremi's house in the form of bullet holes riddled across the facade. Glass shattered and pieces of wood flew around them. Her force from behind him made the shots miss skin and bone, as she was sure this would have been the case if she hadn't acted. Her momentum forward catapulted them to be in front of the half-finished fence that now was transformed into a shield. She could hear the shots hit the fence and splintered wood fragments showered she and Jeremi. The shots ended as the car sped off further down the street with great speed. They landed hard on the concrete on their side and the impact separated them. Mara's head met the path first.

Were the stars she suddenly saw before her from her own galaxy? Would they be disappearing by the second if they were?

Soon there was blackness.

Then...nothing.

(Am I home?)

_No, hun, I'm afraid you're not._

**Coming Soon: Part 9: Epiphany In Motion**


	10. Epiphany In Motion

**Part 9: Epiphany In Motion**

The first feeling she had since she hit her head was one of wetness. It was a pleasant wetness, however. The softness of lips intertwined brought about the feeling. She was lost in its depth. They made movements that were in synch with each other. The passion between them started to warm their body temperatures. She could suddenly feel this from nothingness that lasted less than an instant. Her last memory was hitting her head on the concrete path. Then black. Then wet passion a second later. It had to be a dream.

Unless. She tried to call out.

(Luke.)

Speaking was strange now. She could hear her own voice but she could not feel her lips moving. She was just realizing that the arms that were moving along his body were not in her control. In fact, she could not feel anything resembling a body. Yet...she could sense everything.

(No. Can it be?) She concentrated on her current partner. She could _feel_ his desire. She could _sense_ his excitement. Not only that, but she could feel the living things surrounding her.

The Force! It had returned to her.

Though she could sense his feelings, his identity was still foreign to her. She tried calling out again.

(Luke?)

_Hun, if you say my ex husband's name again while I'm kissin' another man, I'm gonna mentally slap you silly._

(Mary? What is going on?)

_I think you can see for yourself. Or feel for yourself in your case._

(But...I can't see.)

_Oh, that's cuz I got my eyes closed. Here._

All of a sudden, Mara saw a light upon her and the image of Jeremi focused before her.

(Jeremi? Why am I kissing him? He already made a pass at me, which I refused.)

_That's cuz he was with you. And you ain't kissin' him now._ I _am._

(How is this possible?)

_Yer askin' the wrong person, Space Girl._

(Everything is dark unless you open your eyes. I can't feel my body or yours. And I'm only a voice.)

_Welcome to my world for the past year._

(Wait a minute. We've switched places?)

_Looks like. Could you quiet down? I am kinda busy here._

(No. This isn't right. How is it that I can feel the Force now? Can you feel it?)

_No, hun. I'm in control of my own body now and yer the one livin' inside of me this time._

(Why has the Force returned to me now?)

_I dunno. Didn't you say you had it right after you woke up comin' out of a dream?_

(Yes. And your point is?)

_There was only you inside your mind at the time. I was still in limbo then. Once I was sharing your mind, you couldn't use it cuz I don't have this force. And now that I'm controlling me and yer in my mind then you have your force back and I don't. _

(I hope there won't be a quiz on that explanation later. That doesn't explain why my danger sense was back while the both of us still shared your mind.)

_And it saved us all. Handy little skill there._

(You don't know the half of it. Ok, so a new thing to adjust to. Do you get the feeling that some Powers That Be somewhere are having a big laugh at us?)

_Maybe there's a reason we've switched?_

(Perhaps. Ok, first thing I have to ask is how did I go from hitting the pavement to making out with Jeremi within a second?)

_That second to you was actually about eight hours. You don't remember anything?_

(Nothing.)

_That's weird. After I blacked out, all the memories in between black outs would flashback into me._

(That doesn't seem to work with me.)

_So, now what?_

(I thought you were busy.)

_I can stop if you want. I don't know if I want to, though._

(No. You go ahead. This is your life now. You deserve it.)

_Actually, there's a real good reason I should stop._

Mary stopped kissing and fondling Jeremi and parted from him to say, "I'm sorry. I can't do this right now."

"What is it? Too fast?"

"Unprepared. In the protection department."

"Oh. Well, we don't have to...tonight. I know we've been through a lot in the past several hours."

(Time out. I need a refresher, Mary.)

"Where is your bathroom?"

(I said I _need_ a refresher, not go to one.)

Jeremi gave her directions and Mary followed them.

Once they were inside the bathroom, Mary whispered, "All rat, what'd you want to know?"

(Who was it who shot at us?)

"We have no idea."

(Didn't the cops find anything?)

Mary scoffed. "Cops? If this was the suburbs, yeah the cops would come. This is the border of Pritchard. Cops don't come here. Shootouts happen here almost everyday. Nobody wants to get involved. Me and Jeremi went inside after I woke up on the pavement. I told him I was Mary now, but I had a hard time convincin' him. I told him how sweet he was for confessin' his love for me to you. We got to talkin' for a long time. He fixed us a small dinner and we talked more. When the notion came up that we get together, I told him it wasn't the rat time."

(That was a brave thing you did.)

"Then I attacked him," Mary giggled.

(Naturally. Who do you think shot at us?)

"I haven't the foggiest."

(You haven't thought about it?)

"Hun, I was havin' me the best time I've had in a year. I wasn't thinkin' on much else."

(Ok. I understand your..._our_ new situation now. That leaves me at a disadvantage. I can't perform an investigation with being just a voice in your head. Unless I give you instruction.)

"Who cares now? I'm back." Mary frowned. "Wait...I'm back, but yer still here."

(Good observation. I'll make a detective out of you yet.)

"Why are you still here?"

(Apparently, your mystery still needs to be solved. No disrespect, but we can't conduct research while we make out with Jeremi.)

"Excuse my indulges. So, where do we begin again?"

(Simple. Since you're in your own body and mind, how is your memory about certain accidents around horse stables?)

Mary took a moment to concentrate but Mara could feel her disappointment even before she said, "Sorry. Still blank."

(Sithspawn!)

"Hey, that's a new one."

(All right, then let's think logically. Who would want you dead?)

"Why does it have to be me? What if Jeremi was the target?"

(He could have been taken out at any time at Deke's. We would have to have been followed.)

"Why couldn't you detect them or do whatever your assassin training tells you."

(Actually, I'm still new to driving your cars. I don't have the tailing patterns down yet. If I had a few months to test...oh oh.)

"What?"

(Jeremi's getting suspicious.)

"Why is that?"

Jeremi's voice came through the bathroom door. "Mary? Who are you talking to?"

(Guess that answers your question.)

"Nobody! I'll be out in a minute." Mary flushed the toilet and whispered, "Are you really gonna make me give up the first batch of happiness I've had in years?"

(Not give up. Postpone. Hey, this is my life, too. Or my second life. Consider the alternative if you don't help me.)

"Which is what?"

(I could be inside your head for the rest of your life. And though I was a good dancer in my youth, my singing was atrocious.)

"That means bad, doesn't it?"

(Oh yes. My own husband was forced by me to admit it after an anniversary party for his sister where we played a sing a long. We were also rather drunk on wine if memory serves. Later, Luke compared my singing to that of a Krayt Dragon's mating call. So, since I'm now just a voice in your head, I could start singing endlessly. How about _Box of Rain_?)

"You wouldn't dare."

(No. But, you should know me by now, Mary. When I start a mission, I finish it no matter what.)

"I understand. Sorry, Mara, I sorta got carried away."

"It's understandable. Now, what are you going to do with Jeremi?"

"I think you know what I have in mind."

(Mary...that's disgusting. Let me rephrase. What do you plan to do after you leave here soon?)

"Well, since I'm me again, if you don't mind I'd like to see my family again."

(A worthy request. And Mary, you no longer have to ask me permission. I'm just going along for the ride now.)

"'_Goin' to Hell in a bucket, at least I'm enjoying the ride.'_Sorry...Grateful Dead lyric."

Jeremi knocked on the door startling Mary. "Hey, you _are_ talking to someone in there. You're talking to Mara, aren't you?"

Mary opened the door and came out to see him leaning against it. She saw that he put his shirt back on, which indicated that make out time was over. For that night anyway. "No, I wasn't. Why would you say that anyway?"

"Because Mara claimed she could talk to you."

(Word of advice, Mary; when you speak to me in public, do it non-verbally.)

"So you admit that I'm telling the truth that I'm Mary now? What gave it away?"

"At dinner, you used your left hand to eat. Mara was right handed."

Mary nodded.

"Are you leaving?"

"If you don't mind. We spent damn near the whole day together. I haven't spoken to my mama or my son in a year."

"I haven't spoken to my mother in ten years."

"That's different. Mine's alive."

Jeremi frowned and stared at the floor.

"I'm sorry, Jeremi. That was mean of me to say."

"No, it's all right. I just noticed how you and Mara have the same bluntness. No offense to Mara, but I like it in you better."

"Thanks, I guess. Well, it's gettin' late. I want to get back to at least see mama. Ben should be in bed by now."

"And this is where we part. _'Parting is such sweet sorrow.'_"

"What's that?"

"Shakespeare. I read some in my college years."

(Ugh, that's who Dr. Markham quoted.)

_And Didi, too. Remember she said he was her brother's proto-something._

(Protégée. Yes, I remember. You better answer him. I get the sense he thinks you're not coming back to him.)

_Oh, yeah. _"We don't have to part, Jeremi. I just have to go now. You understand. My family comes first."

"As well it should."

Mary leaned into him and placed a kiss on his lips ever so gently. She parted and said wryly, "Preview of coming attractions, my Jeremi-bear."

"I'll be waiting patiently with the popcorn, my sweet Mary-Gold."

(I hope Luke and I never sounded like that to outsiders.)

_Just go with the mushy romantic flow, Mara._

Mary and Jeremi held hands until she had to let go and walked away to exit his house. He was at the front door waving to her as she got in her car. She waved back as she pulled out and headed back home.

As Mary drove back, Mara almost scared her with an outburst.

(Left-handed! That's it!)

"Yeah, I'm left-handed. So?"

(So, which side of a horse would you be on in order to ride it?)

"Well...the left side."

(And if you were facing the entrance of the stable from the back, the same way the horse was facing, which side was it on?)

"The right side?"

(Right. I mean correct. There was no post to tie the horse to on the left.)

"What are you sayin'?"

(I'm saying this, Mary. If you approached the horse on its left side because the right was against the stalls, then why was your injury on the_ left_ side?)

Mary expressed wonder through the statement, "Hmm."

(If the horse kicked you as you tried to ride it, your injury would be on the right side, not the left.)

"But I could have been hit while I was sideways. But how would the horse's leg hit me if I was trying to saddle him? Saddle." Suddenly, Mary was silent in thought and Mara caught a feeling of curiosity.

(What is it, Mary?)

"There was no saddle in that stable."

(Ok, explain.)

"Mr. Avery never keeps saddles in that stable. He uses it for a spare for new horses comin' in or pregnant mares to keep them away from the rest. I do remember Deke got that andalusian a few weeks before. It takes about a month before Mr. Avery breaks in a horse so it can be ridden. He won't allow amateurs to ride them first. Either himself, or Cassie, or a professional trainer he hired first rides a new horse. I got the impression yesterday that Mr. Avery thought I tried to ride it anyway. And I never ride bareback."

(Meaning what, Mary?)

"I would have never gone down there to try and ride that horse. I just went to go see it."

(But to outsiders, and the police, it seemed that you ignored that and tried to ride it anyway. And if you didn't ignore it, and had no intention of riding the horse...)

"How did I get hit by the horse? Oh my god, Mara."

(_Now_ you believe me.)

"I just never thought about it like that before."

(Logically? It takes a special mind to do that.)

"Who could have done it?"

(There's too many suspects. But, we do have one official eyewitness. Victor. I think we need to pay him a visit again. I really couldn't ask him about his guests he had with him the other night after our pummeling of each other. I got the feeling we didn't hear the rest of the story.)

Mary sighed. "He lives in Springdale. Two exits away. We doin' this tonight?"

Mara could feel Mary's sadness in the anticipation of her answer. (There was a time not too long ago when I chose a mission over family. I paid the ultimate price for that mistake. I'm not going to let you chose like that, Mary. You need to see your family. That should be the priority.)

"Thanks, Mara."

They fell silent for the rest of the way with the only sounds being the car and road. Mary finally reached her house and on the side street was a red minivan parked, which meant Annie was there most likely with Tommy. She parked the Mustang in the carport and got out to enter the side door. Before Mary opened the door, she considered Mara was too silent.

"Mara?"

(Yes, Mary?)

"Oh, just checking. I thought you blacked out on me."

(No. Not my style, I guess.)

Mary opened the door and hesitantly went inside. Immediately, she found Emma and Annie sitting at the dining table talking. They looked up at her but she was speechless.

Emma exclaimed, "Why, there you are, Mara. Where have you been all this time? Did Jeremi catch up to you at Evergreen this mornin'?"

Annie supplied with a mischievous smile, "I think maybe he did, Emma. She does have a glow about her."

Emma stood up and collected the two glasses full of leftover melted ice which she intended to take back to the kitchen. She addressed who she thought was Mara. "Annie and Tommy came over and they're sleeping overnight. I'm gonna fix up the couch-bed for Annie. Ben and Tommy are fast asleep. They tired themselves silly today."

"No firecrackers this time," Annie chimed in.

Emma's voice was plastered with hope when she asked, "Did you and Jeremi have fun?"

Mary still could not speak and Emma noticed.

"Cat got your tongue, Mara?"

Mary found her voice. "No, mama."

That was all the evidence Emma needed. She knew. A mother's instinct was indeed universal. She could hardly form the name from her lips. "J...Janie?"

Mary smiled, making all the difference in Emma's world. "Yeah, it's me, mama."

The glasses were no longer held. They fell out of Emma's hands and onto the white linoleum floor, spilling melted ice and shards of glass everywhere. It did not matter. Their sacrifice was secondary to the pain that had been relieved instantly and the love that had been found anew in the moment. Mother and Daughter came at each other to embrace together for the first time in way too many months, days, hours, and minutes.

The emotion that Mara felt in that moment was not just intense. It was miraculous. She was sharing Mary's love for her mother and Emma's for her daughter. It was a moment that forced Mara Jade to wonder. _If only I had this experience with a mother in my youth, how different would my journey have been? If only I had a mother to nurture me, to help me reach my true dreams, and to even scold me at my mistakes, would I have turned out with an alternate personality? _Mara could only imagine many trips back and fourth to dance practice, recitals in which her mother never would miss one, and the one set of applause amongst thousands heard throughout the Coruscanti Ballet Theater after Mara took her bows. Seeing Emma and Mary embrace in a total and always forgiving love made Mara Jade discover that hidden underneath her exterior of a practical realist, was a passionate dreamer. The paradox was that if she _had_ been brought up with such a mother, would she have met the one man who saw deep past her hard edge and saw directly to that dreamer inside of her? Somewhere in the back of her thoughts, she thought that somehow, someway, she would have still met her true love no matter which plane of existence she was in.

(Oh, Luke. I will return to you soon.)

_You bet your ass you will, Space Girl!_

(Thank you, Mary.)

Coming sooner that you can possibly imagine: **Part 10 - Detour On Memory Lane**


	11. Detour On Memory Lane

**Part 10: Detour On Memory Lane**

Mary, Emma, and Annie stayed up into the rest of the night and morning doing nothing but reminiscing. Annie joked with Mary in a quiz about the Grateful Dead to test Mary's identity.

"What studio album is _St. Stephen _on?"

Mary answered, "Aoxomoxoa."

"What is Jerry Garcia's birth date?"

"That's too easy, Ann. My own birthday, August 1st."

"Ok. Bonus round. How many times did they play _Dark Star _during the '82 tour we saw?"

"Oh, wow...uh, Dallas...Atlanta...and Birmingham. So, three."

Annie looked at Emma and stated proudly, "Yep, this is Mary Jane Skyler."

Mary went on to explain that Deke had fired Mara but would give Mary her old job back when she returned. Emma didn't like the sound of that and expressed her desire for her daughter to sever all ties with Deke and his family. Mary was too tired to argue or think about it, so they all went to bed.

In the morning, Mary got up in her own bed in her own body and she relished the feeling. Yet, she noticed that there was too much silence in her head.

"Mara?"

(Good morning, Mary.)

"I didn't hear from ya in a while. Thought you might've blacked out."

(No. I just stayed quiet and let you girls have your moment. Although, I find it interesting that you can remember details of a concert you saw twenty some years ago but can't remember what happened at the stable.)

"I keep tellin' you it's blank there."

(I know. Now that I have the Force back I can sense your frustration about it. I'm sorry I doubted you before.)

"No problem. Knowing how you feel about your family, I'm going to do everything I can to help you return to them."

(Thanks. Wait, how do you know how I feel if you don't have the Force?)

"I don't need the Force to know. Just listening to ya is tellin' me you miss them dearly."

(For an Earthling, you're all right, Mary.)

"And for a Corsicant...no, Corcsicant..ugh..."

(Coruscanti?)

"Yeah. Ya know, I can think the names of your planets but I can't say 'em."

(Yes, Hoth is a real tongue twister.)

"Shut up. So, what's the plan today? Victor?"

(Good plan. Maybe we can shake more out of him.)

"That's fine, but I hope you don't want me to do any of the shakin'."

(I wouldn't want you to. Besides, he's in a cast.)

"Oh yeah." During their conversation, Mary dressed in a nightshirt over a pair of cutoffs and headed down the hallway. Without warning, two adolescent boys came running from behind her and almost knocked her down. Benjamin and Tommy ran past her laughing.

At least Ben said, "Sorry, Mara!"

Mary cried out, "Hey! Benjamin Beau Skyler, what did I used to tell you about runnin' in the halls, young man? I already had a horse knock me down."

(In theory.)

Benjamin stopped in his tracks and stared at Mary in a different light. He slowly formed the word, "Mama?"

"In the flesh. For real this time."

Immediately, he lunged at her to hug her and exclaim, "You're back! Welcome back, mom!"

"Thanks, Spike," she winked.

"Mom, it's Benjamin."

"Right."

"Hey, what happened to Mara?"

_How do I answer that one?_

(Your call, hun.)

"She's...not very far. In fact, anything you have to tell her...just tell me and I'll get the message to her somehow."

(If that was your stab at improvisation, you may need a few pointers, or a thousand.)

_Not my specialty. _

Benjamin replied, "Oh. Ok. I will miss her, though. She showed me how to fight without fighting. I beat the big bully and I never touched him. Mara was cool."

(Sweet kid, there, Mary.)

"Yes, he is."

"What? He?" Benjamin asked, confused.

"I mean _she_ is. Mara is cool."

"But...she's not you, mom. I'm glad yer back. C'mon, gramma's makin' pancakes!"

After they all were stuffed with pancakes, Annie asked Mary, "You goin' to church this morning? We can make the late service."

"Oh, I don't know. I did have something planned today."

Annie cried, "Can't it wait?"

"No. By the time the last service lets out it will be almost noon, and I promised Mara I'd do something for her."

"Mara?" Annie questioned. "I thought she was gone."

"Technically, no," was Mary's answer. "I'm afraid if I say anymore it'll require more explainin'."

Emma asked as if she knew the answer, "Does it have anything to do with Deke?"

"Well...Deke's son, Victor."

"Hun, I thought you were done with the likes of them."

"That's what you said last night. It's just some information we need from him."

"We?" asked Annie.

Emma questioned again, "Is this about your accident? I knew Mara filled your head with conspiracies that it wasn't an accident"

"I'm starting to believe her, too."

For a long moment everyone was silent except for the children. Then Emma breathed a sigh and asked sincerely, "Is this something that you want to do or _need_ to do?"

"A bit of both."

"Well, you just be careful."

Annie added, "Yeah, those Mafia types can be dangerous."

Mary replied proudly, "I don't know, Mara put Victor in a cast the other night."

Emma frowned, "I remember the bruises she gave you, too. Just please be careful, will you, Janie?"

"I will, Mama."

An hour or so later, Mary saw them off and then started getting ready to go out in a plain t-shirt and jeans. As she was changing, Mary wondered something.

"Mara, since I'm me now, and I'm going to show up at Victor's as me, won't that be not intimidatin' for him? Would he give me information if he knows it's me?"

(Hmm, good point, Mary. Unless...do you think you can handle being me?)

Mary cleared her throat and spoke plainly mimicking Mara's voice. "All I have to do is concentrate on speakin'...er, speaking."

(Not bad. Are we ready?)

Mary breathed out deeply. "Ok."

(Are you all right? I can feel how nervous you are.)

"Darlin', I passed nervous as soon as we mentioned I'm going to Victor's."

(You'll be all right if you listen to me. Which reminds me, Mary. When I tell you to do something, anything...do not hesitate. Don't even think about it. Just do it.)

"Ok, I'll try."

(No! Remember the Jedi creed. Do, or do not. There is no try. You hesitate with these people and you get hurt. Or worse. I used my own skills to defend myself when I was using your body.)

"Skills that I don't have."

(But, you have me to guide you. You ready?)

"Lets go!"

Mary set out to Victor's with a new brand of self-confidence.

Victor's ranch style house was in Springdale, where mostly upscale citizens like lawyers and doctors resided. The house was set at the apex of a cul-de-sac off Springdale Road. Mary approached it and parked on the side street. Immediately, she could spot two men inside of the open garage.

Mary asked, "Are we just waltzin' right in? I'm sure I'm not invited for visits."

(You're probably right. They haven't noticed you yet. Let me try an experiment.)

"An experiment?"

(Yes, something I've wanted to try since I got the Force back. See that cup in the holder?)

"Yeah."

(I want you to concentrate on it. Focus on it and only it. Don't see or think of anything else but the cup.)

"That's kinda weird, Mara."

(Just do it. Remember what I told you.)

"All right. The cup and only the cup."

As Mara felt Mary's concentration on the cup, Mara used the Force to envision it to rise.

And it did so by a few inches just like the cup in the hospital did a month ago. It stayed there until Mary gasped. Then it fell to the passenger side floor.

"Oh my god. Did you do that?"

(I did. Seems my Force sensitivity only works through me only if you are focused. I couldn't use the Force while I was using your body because you are not Force sensitive.)

"So, I was sorta right."

(In so many words.)

"Great. Now, what can we do with it? Can we levitate them?"

(Oh no. That'll bring on too many questions. I was thinking of something more subtle. Let's go and follow my lead.)

Mary got out of the car and headed for the garage. The guards did spot her and Mara could feel their anticipation to use their concealed weapons. When she got close to them, Mara spoke to Mary.

(Ok, Mary, I want you to repeat my words, but I want you to believe what I say no matter how impossible it may sound. Understand?)

_Yeah, shoot._

One of the guards spoke before Mara could. "Well, look who's paying us a visit. I don't believe it."

(You will let me pass.)

Mary repeated in monotone, "Uh...you will let me pass. Now."

(That really sounded convincing, Mary. I think you could scare at least an Ewok with that voice.)

_I don't know what that is, but I can tell it was sarcastic. I'm trying my best here._

(Don't take this the wrong way, Mary, but your best isn't good enough with these guys. Remember, they're armed.)

_Thanks for remindin' me._

The one guard laughed at Mary's demand and said, "Is that a fact? You gonna break my knee too if I don't let you pass?"

(Only if you don't want the real pain.)

Mary repeated.

Both guards laughed. The other guard said, "There's no way you can take on both of us. And we have weapons."

(I have my own.)

Mary repeated.

The guards laughed again.

(Try the first phrase again, Mary, but _believe_they will let you pass. Put some confidence into it, Mary. I know you can do it.)

_I don't know if I can, Mara._

(If all else fails, imagine one of them is your ex-husband, Luke.)

All of a sudden, a surge of rage came upon Mary and she projected, "You_will_ let me pass!"

Mara immediately put the Force behind Mary's words and it happened.

The guards' expressions changed from laughing to none. Both of them stated back, "We will let you pass." And they each stood aside.

Mary stood frozen dumbfounded.

(Mary, that's your cue. Go!)

Mary stumbled forward and she walked passed the guards who now paid her no mind. She watched their blank expressions as if nothing happened.

_That...that was incredible, Mara._

(You should see me with a lightsaber.)

Mary entered the home of Victor's and came into a hall that led to a dining room. Past that was a wide kitchen where Victor was eating his breakfast. Or trying to. He sat in a wheelchair with his leg elevated. Surrounding the leg was a white soft cast. He turned and saw Mary and he freaked.

"Whoa! Who let you in?"

Mary stated in Mara's accent, "Your guards. They were very helpful."

(Nice touch.)

"So, what, you come to break my other knee?"

"No, I'm just here to kick your ass. Did you want a can of whoop-ass for breakfast?"

(I don't sound like that.)

_Sometimes you do._

Victor answered Mary, "That's fine since you have the advantage now."

Mary sneered, "I always have the advantage."

(Mary, I think you're _too_ good at this.)

_Yeah, this is fun._

(Let's not get carried away, now.)

Victor asked, "What do you want? Did you come to beg for your job back? It's not going to happen. We've finally got you out of the way, Mara."

(Interesting. What does he mean by "we"?)

"Who's 'we', Victor?"

"What? Why, Deke and I."

(He's lying.)

_What do I do?_

(Call him on it.)

"You're lying." Mary over emphasized the g sound but Victor didn't notice.

"Oh yeah? It was Deke's idea."

"That's a kripping lie."

(Kriffing.)

"A kriffin' lie," Mary corrected herself but in her own accent.

This time, Victor noticed. "Why are you speaking Southern now?"

Mary focused on Mara's accent now. "Because I want to. And answer the question."

"What question?"

"Well...why are you lying?"

"Who says I am?"

"I do. This 'we' you're speaking of wouldn't be the same ones you brought into the club the other night, would they?"

Mara felt a spark of emotion from Victor. (That's it, Mary. Good job. Keep going.)

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Marko and his flunkys. You came into Deke's with the competition, Victor. Bad move. Deke noticed. He asked me if I heard anything you said. Hiding something from your papa, Victor?"

"I'm always hiding something from him. So, what, I showed a couple of friends a night out. Besides," he leaned in as much as the wheelchair let him, "you can't prove anything. We were talking about a job they were planning the next day."

(Ah, Mary, ask him if the job was in Pritchard.)

"You mean the job they ran in Pritchard?"

Mara caught another reaction from Victor. Fear. (Keep going, Mary, you almost got him.)

Victor answered without a hint of fear in his words, "What makes you think it was in Pritchard?"

_Should I mention the drive by shooting to him straight out?_

(Yes, but don't mention Jeremi.)

Mary answered, "Because it just so happens that I was almost gunned down in Pritchard yesterday afternoon."

"What a pity you escaped."

"You don't seem surprised."

"Mara, I'm sure you have already lined up a slew of enemies in the month you have been here."

"Including you, I heard."

"What's that mean?"

"Seems you were about to sign the kind of contract that ensures me gone."

Victor chuckled, "You've been listening to Mary's puppy dog, Jeremi. Did her Knight save you, Mara? Or did they get him, too."

(See why I had you not mention Jeremi? Victor just admitted he knew about it.)

"Funny thing, Victor, I don't remember mentioning Jeremi was with me. How would you have known that?"

Victor looked shocked and tried to cover it. "I didn't. It's these drugs they got me on for the pain."

"Too late, Victor." Mary sat in the chair opposite Victor since there was no room beside him because of the wheelchair. "Why would Marko and Company want me and Jeremi dead? Were we too noisy? Did we know too much?"

"Marko doesn't make snap decisions like that on his own."

"You know, you're right. I guess the more appropriate question is why_Carlos_ wanted us dead?"

"That's absurd, Mara. Carlos has plenty of more important things to deal with. You're a small speck, Mara. You're done here. Time for you to go home."

(I wish it were that simple. Don't repeat that. But, he is still nervous.)

"Why are you nervous, Victor?"

"What? I'm not."

(Repeat this. Maybe I should ask Carlos personally and see what he has to say?)

_What? Mara, are you serious?_

(Never more in this life on Earth.)

_I don't even know where to find Carlos._

(Then ask Victor.)

Mary suggested, "Maybe I should ask Carlos in person. I'm sure you can tell me where he is, being so chummy with his gang."

Victor's eyes popped and he slowly stated, "You are one crazy broad."

"I have my goals, Victor, and I intend to reach them." This time Mary leaned in and emphasized, "No matter what gets in my way. Your leg here all bandaged up should tell you that."

(Ok, Mary, it's now scary how close you are at portraying me.)

_I learned from the best._

Victor replied to Mary, "I'm not going to tell you where Carlos is."

(Kick his leg.)

_What?_

(Kick his cast leg. Hard.)

Mary did so and he cried out in pain.

"Agh! You stupid bi–"

"Hey! There's to be no cursing on Sunday. Now, where can I find Carlos? Or maybe I will work on the other knee."

"Agh, no. You know how to get to Fairhope?"

"Fairhope? That little town across the bay?"

"How would you know?"

"I do my research. Where in Fairhope?"

"On the edge of the bay." He gave her an address with a warning. "It won't matter. You won't get in. He has so many guards and security you won't get past the front gate."

"I got past your guards. And I didn't lay a finger on them."

"Yeah, how exactly did you do that?"

"Let's just say I am very persuasive."

"You know you are not as smart as you think."

"People have been tellin' me that all my life," Mary reverted to her own speech patterns.

Victor shook his head. "You've been hanging out way to long here, Mara. You sounded just like Mary then."

Mary snapped too quickly, "Well, I'm not. I'm Mara Jade. Do you need another kick in the cast to remind you?"

"No," he snapped back. "I believe you. My leg believes you too. I'll have to take another Codeine thanks to you."

"Well, sweet dreams, Victor. And thanks for the info. I'll have Carlos give his blessing to you." She got up from sitting and turned to exit before Victor spoke again.

"If you're not dead first. Your funeral."

She stopped and looked back at him. "What does that mean?"

"You're heading into the lion's den, girl. Bad timing. Carlos has guards that can't be persuaded as easily as mine. And they'll be ready."

"Ready for what exactly?"

"You'll find out eventually."

(Don't linger. Just leave. He's trying to intimidate you.)

_He's doing a good job of it. _Mary glared at Victor for a moment and said, "Have a nice trip."

Mary exited the house and passed by Victor's guards who once again ignored her. She got in her Mustang and sped away.

After they were caught in Sunday traffic on Airport Boulevard, Mara noted Mary's silence since they left Victor's.

(What's wrong, Mary?)

"Tell me we're not actually going to see Carlos."

(He's the most logical next clue. He may give us information. And with the Force behind me now, he may give it when he doesn't realize it.)

"He also could give us a quick trip in the grave. This is too deep, Mara. You want me to confront a notorious drug dealer. I always used to avoid him when he came into the club, which wasn't often. He's a little on the scary side."

(What are you saying, Mary?)

"I'm sayin', Mara, that I'm downright scared. Meeting with drug dealers may be an everyday thing to you. Hell, you probably killed a few. I have never met one not once."

(I thought you said you would do everything in your power to help me.)

"Yeah, well, I'm findin' out that my power level just got emptied. This is more than I want to risk, Mara." Her voice was beginning to crack.

(Risk is what love is all about, Mary. I took a risk when I went after my nephew to stop him from becoming another Palpatine. Though I made mistakes in the execution, I would take that same risk again if it meant my family would be safe. I lost that risk the first time, and judging from what Didi showed me, it looks like my death had no meaning. I don't like the idea of that. Now there's a possibility of a second chance to correct that. I am not going to give up that chance because you are scared. Heroes can be scared, Mary. They wouldn't be considered heroes if they weren't. You can't let your fear control you. My husband was always concerned about my rage. What he should have been concerned about was my fear. Like you Mary, I have fear of doubt. I doubted my husband's ability to receive the painful truth about his nephew. And I doubted my own son's sudden growth into adulthood. Ironically, that doubt is what killed me. Our doubt, Mary, prevents us from asking the one question we should be asking ourselves. What is our purpose? I found mine in the last third of my life. And then I lost my life. Don't wait that long to find yours, Mary. When you think about it, your purpose is not that hard to find. So, yes, going up against a drug dealer can be dangerous. Just don't think of it as a risk. Think of it as an opportunity.)

Without warning, Mary steered the car hard to avoid traffic and sped onto the secondary road of Airport. "There's a quicker way to Fairhope," Mary announced with a harder edge to her voice than Mara had ever heard. She bypassed the traffic on Airport to go on a side road. Soon they were on I-65 South and then I-10 East cruising at breakneck speed in the Mustang. They crossed Mobile Bay and she took the first exit off the causeway. They traveled down Highway 98 and eventually came to the community known as Fairhope. It seemed like a peaceful and quaint little town. It was hard to believe that it was home to a crime lord. They came to a series of houses along their right side which paralleled the Bay itself. The further they traveled the larger the houses became. One in particular sat several yards away from the road. They were not surprised to see a security gate that lined the perimeter of the large yard.

Mary drove up to a post on one side of a long driveway with a folded gate that was shut before her. A speaker was attached to the post and as soon as she pulled beside it, a voice came on.

"May we help you?"

Mary demanded sternly, "I need to see Carlos."

"I'm sorry, madam, but Mr. Mendoza is not available. Perhaps you would like to schedule a meeting?"

Mary shouted an obscenity and then, "Tell him Mary Jane Skyler is here!"

(Mary, what are you doing?)

"I'm done with pretending." She shouted at the box again, "Did you get that name? Mary! Jane! Skyler!"

For a long moment there was silence. All of a sudden there was the sound of a metallic creak and the two ends of the gate unfolded open.

(I guess they got the name.)

Mary sped through the open gate and followed the long driveway that led to a huge two-story mansion. The decorations surrounding the building were exquisite. To her right was a large garage that housed a variety of upscale vehicles. Porsche. Ferrari. BMW. There was even a Viper that was gray in color rather than Victor's red.

Mary pulled in to the outside edge of the garage and her Mustang seemed to fit in with the other cars. As soon as she shut off the engine, a gentleman appeared at her car door dressed as a servant. She exited the car and he greeted her with professional courtesy.

"This way, madam," he dryly stated.

She followed him silently on the pathway that led to the front of the house and she enjoyed gazing at the flower bed which lined it along the way. Mary then gaped at an intricate fountain at the end of the path. She followed the man into the house and inside there was artwork everywhere in the form of paintings and sculptures. Mary walked through in awe while Mara had seen this type of faux appreciation of art by people with extreme power.

The servant led her to the rear of the dwelling and they came to an open veranda that extended to an outside wooden deck. As they walked along the edge of the deck, Mary could see below an in-ground pool with water inside waiting to be caressed.

On the opposite side of the deck there was a small space where the railing opened up. Before it stood the figure of a thin man with dark olive skin. He was well-dressed with khaki slacks and white button down shirt. There was no jewelry worn anywhere on the man. If he had been casually walking on the street it would have been hard to catagorize him as a crime lord. He was carrying a long thin metal stick that he held in a skillful way. He swung the stick back in an arc and then swung it forward faster to hit a small ball far into the air and out onto the green grass below inches from the Mobile Bay shoreline.

(What is he doing?)

_Practicing his golf swing. Golf is a very popular sport of the rich._

The servant stopped in front of the man and announced, "Ms. Skyler, sir."

"Thank you, Manny. Leave us. Make sure Sketch and Trip are ready."

"Very good, sir." Manny did an about face and left the deck.

The man hit one last golf ball out into the grass and then turned to her. He leaned on the stick as if it were a cane. "Well, well, well...look what the horse drug in."

"Interesting choice of animal," she replied to him.

"You do have a way with horses, as I recall." His voice had a slight accent with a tone that was a hybrid of both velvet and sandpaper.

"I'm starting to recall a lot of things."

"Are you now?" He paused and said, "One thing I have been informed of is that you are not you. I keep hearing the name Mara Jade. Yet, you introduced yourself as Mary Jane. So, which of you is real and which one is imaginary?"

"I am Mary Jane. Mara Jade is real and still a part of me."

"Marko spoke highly of Mara's talents. Very different from yours, Mary. I have to admit, this is rather confusing."

"It's only confusing to outsiders. As long as me and Mara understand each other I don't care what outsiders think."

"I have no doubt. And I'm intrigued. That's the only reason I let you in. I am wondering what could be so important that you had to see me in person."

"And I am wondering why your men opened fire on me yesterday."

Carlos sat in a plastic form chair that was situated under a covered table. He took the water–filled glass and took a gulp.

(This guy is smooth. I'm getting nothing but pure confidence from him.)

_Let's hope we can put a dent in that ego._

He started to explain. "I have many projects, Mary. Many have their own problems with their own solutions. I have hired men from every class system up and down. Most of them solve my problems for me. On occasion, I handle some problems on my own. Sometimes, the men I hire take matters into their own hands. Without my authority. I do not condone their actions nor do I acknowledge them."

(He's talking in circles without answering anything. Perfect evasive move.)

"Cut the crap, Carlos. All I'm asking is why am I a target?"

"Why, indeed? You are a victim of being coveted. Your passion has misled those in power."

"Deke. You're talkin' about Deke."

Carlos smiled and nodded. "Dekterai Vernonov."

"You know his full name."

"Of course. He told me years ago when I was his driver and errand boy. I believe your beloved Jeremi fills that position now. Not a prestigious job. But, if you watch and listen while performing mundane duties, you can start climbing. Jeremi is too much of a dreamer to realize this. I, on the other hand, took full advantage. Several advantages later, and here I am." He spread out his arms as if to present his lifestyle. "And Deke is still dragging his feet. His time in power is over. It's a whole different world now. He has to retire. Sooner than he believes. Of course, Deke isn't easy to touch. But, as all men do, Deke has a weakness. There were obstacles to get to that weakness. We eliminated some, sidestepped others." He leaned toward her for emphasis. "Deke would do anything..._anything_ to protect that weakness."

"What in blue blazes are you talkin' about?"

"I'm talking about the past, Mary. How much do you remember? About Evergreen? You really have to ask how fast a slightly overweight Russian can sprint."

(He's giving us some kind of hint.)

_What?_

(I think he's suggesting that Deke had something to do with your accident.)

_That's impossible. He was on the hill when I went down to the stable._

(And Mr. Avery witnessed Deke running. Something's not right here. Carlos is misdirecting you. But to where?)

Carlos went on to ask, "You also have to ask what was the real reason he fired you."

Mary responded, "He fired Mara, not me. I could go back to him now and he'd rehire me in a flash."

"Is that what you really want, Mary? You have to know what you want. You have to have a purpose."

(See, even a crime boss gets it.)

"Yeah, I've already heard that lecture today."

"But, now, your purpose is to leave."

"You never gave me any answers."

"I already gave you all the answers you need." He got up and stood to walk toward her. "I can see what Deke sees in you, Mary. You are a charming yet strong woman."

"Am I strong?" Mary asked weakly, almost to herself.

He leaned in and admitted, "I will tell you this. I don't know many women who would accuse me of a crime straight to my face and inside my home. My own wife is even too scared to do that. Now, I must bid you farewell, Mary. Too bad I couldn't meet Mara, too. And a last bit of advice; I wouldn't go back to Deke anytime soon."

He made the motion of reaching for her hand with the intention of kissing the back of it in a classic gesture. As soon as he touched her hand–it happened.

A flash of memory kicked in suddenly.

(Oh my stars, Mary.)

Mary looked at Carlos. She was almost too frightened to speak. She did manage to utter the phrase, "It was _you_!"

**Coming soon: Part 11 - Remember To Remember**


	12. Remember To Remember

**Part 11 : Remember To Remember**

**Approximately one Earth year prior at the Evergreen stables.**

_"Ok, Deke, where is the andalusion?" Mary asked excitedly._

_Deke answered, "Mr. Avery told my men to put it in the old stable down there."_

_"Why'd he have you put it all the way down there?"_

_"It is not broken in yet. I just purchased it last week. He probably got it away from you in case you do something foolish. Like trying to ride it."_

_"Am I that predictable?" She got no answer from Deke. "Well, I can't wait for Mr. Avery. I'm heading down there. You comin' later?"_

_"As soon as Avery comes out. After his dinner."_

_"Yeah, well, just don't bring Luke down with ya," Mary sneered. "I can only handle one animal at a time."_

"_Mary, I am sorry I not know Luke was being here. I would not worry. He has Lynn to worry about."_

"_Yeah, his hands are full. Well, I'm off." She started the trek down to the old stable in a slow-paced walk. She suddenly stopped and turned back at Deke. "Hey, you pick a name for him yet?"_

_Deke repeated a phrase in his own language._

"_In English, Deke!"_

"_It translates to Crescent Fire. You be careful now, Mary."_

"_You know me,"she said as she started back down the meadow to the stable._

"_Yes, then you be very careful."_

_She turned her head back at him as she kept walking and gave him a scowl. It took a good several minutes to reach it. By the time she did, she was weary from the walk. Once she spotted the raven-haired horse inside the stable, her joy dominated over her fatigue._

_It didn't have the same reaction to her._

_Immediately upon detecting her presence, the horse whinnied and shook its long head up and down. It couldn't go far as it was tied to a post just inside the entrance._

"_Whoa, boy. Settle down. I'm not goin' to hurt ya. What is this? Deke's men couldn't put you in one of these stalls?" She looked at the gate of one of the nearest stalls. "Oh, maybe because they're locked. We'll have ta talk to Mr. Avery about that, won't we?" She saw near the gate hanging on the wall was a long brush. She reached for it and took it off it's hook and started brushing the horse's back. It calmed down soon after. She kept to its back and was inching her way up to its head. She started stroking it's head and she cooed, "There, there. Yer such a beautiful creature. You got a nice shiny black coat. See, I'm not gonna hurt you."_

"_I bet you say that to all the male horses," boomed a voice from behind her._

_She spun around to see the figure standing at the open entrance of the stable. "Carlos? What are you doing here?"_

"_I'm here for business."_

"_Well...Deke is up there at the top of the hill. Near the main house and stable."_

"_I know where Deke is. Fortunately, he doesn't know where I am."_

"_Don't you need to speak to him about business?"_

"_I didn't say my business was with Deke, did I?"_

_Mary started backing away towards the rear of the stable. "So, what business are you here for?" She glanced at the horse beside her on her right. "Horses? Deke just got this one. Ain't she a beauty?" The nervousness in her voice was obvious._

_Carlos edged into the stable slowly. "I'm not much into horses. Unless I have money on a long shot. No, my business today involves you, Mary."_

"_Me? Why would you wanna talk to little ole me?"_

"_Let's talk about that. How far back does your memory go, Mary? Specifically, two days ago."_

"_Uh...well, I...I was working at the club like I usually do on a Friday night."_

"_Let's focus on a particular area. Try the back alley."_

"_Oh! You and Victor were talking." Her exhilaration at remembering quickly faded into horrific realization. "I guess I shouldn't have admitted that."_

_Carlos chuckled, "No, no, Mary, you're doing good. I like innocent honesty. Do you remember what we were talking about?"_

"_All I heard was Victor sayin' somthin' about Deke. Probably in a negative way as usual."_

"_Anything else?"_

"_That's all I heard. I don't listen to yer conversations, Carlos. You know me. I go off to my own world when you and Deke talk."_

"_Do you really? How do I know you don't listen? Maybe you don't hear, but do you retain the knowledge?"_

"_I don't hear or listen because I say I don't," Mary said as stern as she could at the moment._

_Carlos laughed. "You are sweet, Mary. I can see what Deke sees in you. It's too bad."_

"_Too bad for what?"_

"_My pet project. It's something I had planned for a long time. But, it has obstacles. Some were anticipated. Some were not. One of those appeared the other day in a back alley. Now I have a solution."_

"_Am...I the obstacle?"_

"_You catch on quick, Mary."_

"_Carlos, I swear I don't know anything about no project of yours. I couldn't hear any details except Victor mentionin' Deke. He goes on about his papa all the time. Besides, I wouldn't say anythin' even if I did."_

"_I can't take that chance, Mary. My project's too important."_

_Mary was backed almost to the back wall of the stable and behind the horse by this time. She now reached being frightened. "What are you gonna do? Kill me?"_

"_Oh, no, Mary. I just have a way to make you forget."_

"_You best not lay a finger on me," she managed to speak in a hoarse whisper._

"_Aw, don't be like that, Mary. I just want to know why Deke is so infatuated with you. He goes on and on about you. The sweet and innocent Mary Jane. I'm just curious why he made you a second."_

"_A second?"_

"_Second in command. By all rights, that's Victor's position when the time comes. The way he tells it, Deke treats you more like his daughter than Victor as his son."_

"_That's insane. Deke only wants me to become assistant manager at the club. Victor's got it all wrong. Deke knows I want no part of his business."_

"_Yet, you are still involved with the club. Therein lies the irony."_

"_What are you talkin' about?"_

_Carlos smiled and asked almost to himself, "I'm wondering why a single, divorced mother of a ten-year-old would want to associate herself with nefarious types like Deke and his...family, so to speak."_

_Mary shot back, "You don't consider yourself the same nifferious type?"_

_Carlos smiled and corrected, "Nefarious. Only by necessity. So, why do you hang around, Mary? Is there not enough adventure for you? Are you bored with your home life?"_

"_You don't know a thing about me."_

"_On the contrary, I know several things, Mary Jane. Oh, wait, I forgot you don't like to be called that. How about I call you what your mama does? Janie. Doesn't that make you feel at home? See, I make it a point to know even the associates of my competitors. I know things, Mary. Been depressed lately? I'm sure you're seeing the best care for that. Of course, if I was married to an imbecile like Luke Wallace, even for a few weeks, that would be enough to depress me. I'm sorry, I can't call him that because that would be an insult to imbeciles."_

"_I'll give ya that one. You still haven't answered how I'm an obstacle in your project."_

"_Simple. Deke's focus is on you. Take away that focus and he becomes distracted and blind to other things going on around him."_

"_What exactly do you mean by 'take away'?"_

"_Mary, please don't take this personally. This is business. And I've been assured that there will be no permanent damage."_

"_Carlos, Deke and others are right up that hill."_

"_Too far away to see details."_

"_I can scream."_

"_Which they would believe is because of this horse. You've already noted that it's a little jumpy." As if to prove himself, he quickly stomped his foot in front of the horse to scare it. The horse reacted by whinnying again and this time lifted its two front legs in the air a few feet._

"_Stop that!" yelled Mary. "I already told you I don't know anything. What do you want from me? I won't say anything."_

"_But that's what I need from you, Mary. Insurance that you don't say anything. Right now, I need for you to relax."_

"_Like Hell, I am." Mary took all her fear and converted it into anger. She gathered all the strength she could and she intended to charge past Carlos in an attempt to escape. He saw the move and stepped to block her and easily caught her by her shoulders. Almost as an afterthought, Mary remembered she still had the large horse brush in her left hand. With gritted teeth, she swung at Carlos with the brush in hand. Carlos anticipated it and caught her wrist in mid-swing. He grabbed the brush out of her hand. The brush had soft bristles on one side but the other side had a hard plastic U-shaped handle. Carlos flipped the brush so that the handle was facing out._

_Mary screamed at the top of her lungs, "Don't touch me! Don't touch me!"_

_Carlos took his own swing across Mary's face and the hard plastic landed with extreme impact on the right side of her head. The blow knocked Mary sideways and down to the dirt and hay of the stable floor. She was sprawled face up with blood already trickling down from the wound._

_Carlos took a moment to peek over the horse through the entrance to see Deke himself and others behind him running towards the stable. "Damn, girl, you scream loud. I don't have much time now." He went over to the semi-conscious Mary. Her eyes were reduced to slits barely open and she was in a daze from the blunt trauma. He kneeled beside her and pulled out from inside his jacket a pair of surgical rubber gloves, which he put on. He then reached inside his jacket again to produce a small pillbox. He snapped it open to reveal a white pill._

"_Ok, Mary, I want you to take your medicine like a good little girl. I didn't plan on doing it this way, but it works out anyway." He took one hand to lift her head up, being careful not to touch the wound. His other hand opened her mouth forcibly and she moaned in pain. "You'll be ok. Just a nice relaxing trip. And more to the point, untraceable. With the wound, it'll present itself like amnesia. And the only blame will be on old Charlie horse here. Perfect." He placed the pill inside her mouth and closed it. He pinched her nose so that she was forced to swallow it. He laid her head back down with care._

"_There. That's it, Mary. Time to sleep. I was told this will make your memories a little hazy for a while. They'll come back to you eventually. By that time, it'll be all over." He looked into her half shut eyes and said, "You will not remember what happened in this stable."_

_Mary finally closed her eyes. She could hear the sounds of the andalusion going wild. That sound was fading away. As were her memories._

_Who was she?_

Nobody.

_Where was she?_

Nowhere.

_In the space of an unknown time, Mary Jane Skyler forgot._

_Everything._

* * *

_Until._

"It was you!" Mary exclaimed facing Carlos on his deck

She was in such a daze at the sudden flash of memory that she did not notice the realization in Carlos that she knew. Carlos made a slight gesture with his eyes directed at something past Mary. Mara could translate that motion easily. It said, "Come here, now." Mara's danger sense was at its maximum and immediately she felt the presence of someone coming up behind Mary with ill intent. Mary's focus was still on Carlos.

(Mary! Mary, behind you! Come on Mary, turn around!)

Finally, Mary did start to turn around. It was too late.

A burley man came at her with a strange contraption that he used to thrust at her abdomen. There was an intense shock going through Mary's body and she went down to the wooden deck floor.

And once again, Mary was dead to the world.

* * *

The sound of motion awoke her. The dull, muted sounds of the outside road echoed in the darkness. Mary's consciousness was slowly returning.

Mary quickly thought, _Mara?_

(I'm here. What in the kriffing bantha fodder were we hit with?)

_It's a taser weapon. It sends out a strong electric current that stuns ya. And it hurts like Hell._

(You're telling me. Where are we? We're moving.)

Mary opened her eyes into more darkness. Mary was lying face down on a slick leather-covered seat. She raised her head and felt the sticky separation of skin and leather. She sat up not feeling ill or with any pain.

An overhead light came on and Mary could see that she was inside the rear of a limo. Sitting across from her was Carlos.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," he said.

(If I had a credit for every time I heard that phrase...)

Mary asked him, "Where are we headed?"

"To watch my old boss retire." He paused and said, "I assume from your remark on the deck earlier that you remember what happened at the stable last year."

"I know the what and the who. I just don't know the why yet."

Carlos sniffed. "I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet. Or maybe _Mara_ has."

(Deke was the pet project. Carlos planned to take over his business a year ago. Since Deke held you on such a high pedestal, the most efficient way to misdirect him was to take you out of the picture. The fact that you caught him and Victor talking in the alley was the excuse.)

Mary repeated Mara's explanation in her own words. "You used me to distract Deke so you could take him over."

"Congratulations. Of course, I don't know who to credit the intelligence to, you or Mara." He chuckled. "What am I saying? It had to be Mara. You, Mary, are essentially clueless."

Mary made a lunge at him but he produced a silver pistol from under his sports coat and pointed it at her. "Ah, ah, ah. No sudden moves. If I have to use this, you won't get to see Deke's reaction when he realizes he is involuntarily retiring."

Mary sat back in the seat and took the chance to look out the tinted window out into the darkness of the Alabama evening. She could see the outlines of industrial equipment, docks, shipping containers, and hints of large cranes. She blurted, "We're at the harbor."

"Correct. The only place in Mobile to have a peaceful drug deal. Except the product in this case is highly sensitive. I'm sure Deke will recognize its signature."

Mary's face was blank at the remark, but Mara started explaining.

(It seems Carlos went straight to Deke's own source, probably in the Ukraine itself. That must have taken a long time to establish. No wonder he took you out a year ahead of time. Classic take over move with crime organizations. If you can't take out the head of the family, get to his distributors.)

Instead of repeating Mara's words back to Carlos, she asked another question of interest to her. "What did you give me in that stable?"

Carlos was taken back with the question but answered calmly,"It was a new drug that induces hallucinations specific to memory. It's not even on the market yet. Handy little drug in our line of work. It eliminates eliminations, as I like to say. Your coma wasn't planned but it played into our hands nicely. My source told me that was because of the trauma combined with the drug."

"Your source?"

"Oh, come now, Mary. I can't reveal that."

(Dr. Steve Markham.)

Mary repeated the name in a quick gasp.

It was the first time Carlos looked shocked. That was all the verification Mara needed. He nervously stated, "Well, I see Mara is working overtime on this."

"How did Dr. Markham get involved?" she asked Carlos.

Carlos shrugged and explained, "He was desperate. And foolish."

(Meaning his practice was in such jeopardy that he used Carlos to bail him out and let him use his drug he invented. Who else would have access to experimental drugs that induced memory halting hallucinations? Now I see why he hypnotized us. He wanted to know how much we knew. Plus, that's how Carlos knew you were seeing a doctor for depression. How did you get in contact with him in the first place, Mary?)

_His office called me. They said they were referred by my own doctor._

(And you never questioned your doctor about that?)

_I hardly ever see him, so I never had the chance._

(And that's how they made sure to keep tabs on you.)

_I feel so ashamed for fallin' for it._

(Don't be, Mary. As I told you, these are professionals. When they want something, nothing will stand in their way to get it.)

Mary uttered the words, "But you did."

Carlos caught it and asked, "What was that?"

Mary looked straight at Carlos through the dim light of the limo. "I got in the way of your pet project first last year. I was disposed of without killing me."

"In a nutshell," he answered.

"But _Mara Jade _got in your way this time."

Carlos said, "I admit she was annoying with her persistence of her research into your accident. Thus the reason for the attempt on your, or her life, the other day."

A voice on a nearby speaker suddenly announced, "We're here. Where do you want us?"

Carlos depressed something on the wall and ordered, "Stay a few feet away out of their sight. But angle us to the side so we can get a good view. And send the audio feed back here one way so they can't hear us." The voice acknowledged.

Mary pleaded, "Why are you doing this to Deke? He always stayed out of your way."

Carlos answered, "You are so naive, Mary. You know nothing about our business, yet you still involve yourself with it."

"I told you I don't get involved."

(You don't have to, Mary.)

_What's that mean?_

(I hate to agree with Carlos, but he's right. You _are_ involved whether you want to be or not. You're involved with the club and that makes you part of Deke's world.)

_But, I don't do anything wrong._

(I didn't say you did, sweetie. When you're part of a crime organization like this, you can have the best intentions to do good. You also subject yourself to their actions, including violent acts. I should know; I was part of a similar Empire where they believed that violence was always the solution. I've seen innocent bystanders, such as yourself, who were involved by choice and they paid the ultimate price. What they, and you, don't realize is that by merely associating with these people, you are automatically signing up for the same risks that they do. Just like Carlos said. This is a business. It's not personal.)

Mary seemed to take in Mara's words as the limousine stopped. Carlos swapped his seat opposite her for the one next to her. He looked out the window and Mary followed his action. She spotted among many large shipping containers a group of men a few yards away. She could identify three out of the seven men there as Deke, Kivan, and Nicoli. The others were guarding the perimeter with Deke's Mercedes in the center. All of the men seemed to be at the edge of their patience.

Carlos flipped on the mic on the wall. "Make sure we don't act until after he recognizes the product. Marko, you hear me? Not until then. Understand?"

"Got it, Carlos."

Carlos addressed another one of his men. "Stretch, you and Trip ready?"

"Born ready," a thin nasal voice answered.

"Gotcha," Carlos replied. "Carry on." He flipped the switch but they could still hear the two men walking heading towards Deke's men. Within a few minutes, Deke's voice could be heard.

"Ah, there they are. What is this, Stretch? No Carlos?"

Stretch's thin voice answered, "He's around, Deke. Don't worry."

"I not do this without Carlos. This too big of deal."

"Ya got me, Deke. His second. The next best thing. Are we doing this, or are we walking? Where's your green?"

Deke could be heard grunting and then say, "First, I see if product is worth my price. Let us see if Carlos says it is pure."

Carlos answered from within the limo, "Oh, it is."

Deke commented, "And since Carlos too chicken to come out and face me, I have no choice."

Carlos muttered, "You see why I want to retire this guy?"

The sound of a case opening was heard and Deke ordered, "Kivan, test it."

Carlos whined, "No, Deke, test it yourself. Don't use one of your lackeys."

There was a moment of silence before Kivan said, "It's pure all right. Almost ninety-five percent."

Deke asked Stretch, "Who is this new source Carlos has? Not many distributors can get their hands on ninety-five."

Stretch stated flatly, "I'm not at liberty to say."

Deke said to Kivan, "Put it back, Kivan. We are not touching it." Before Stretch could object, Deke suddenly demanded, "Wait! Let me see the package."

Carlos said to himself, "He knows."

There was another silence before Deke said, "Nicoli, pay these men in full." Deke said another phrase but it was in his language.

Carlos uttered, "Uh oh."

There was another dead silence for the next minute and then all of a sudden the blaring sound of a gunshot exploded into the speaker. And another shot. And another.

Another shot came and Stretch screamed out in pain.

"Where is Carlos?" demanded Deke.

"Close...by," struggled Stretch.

A new voice entered, but it wasn't part of the main event. It was Marko. "Hey, Carlos, he just capped Trip. Do we go in yet?"

Carlos ordered, "No. Not yet. Wait."

Mary asked incredulously, "You had to know he was going to kill one of them, or both."

"I knew he'd go for Trip first. He was expendable," was the cold answer from Carlos.

Deke then shouted, "Carlos! If you can hear me you know I take out one man and am about to dispatch your second. Come out now. You have no leverage."

Carlos said to Mary, "Ok, showtime. Go!"

Mary refused, "I'm not going out there."

"This gun says that you are. Now move." The car door opened and Manny appeared.

Mary asked as she exited, "Why am I here?"

"Leverage," Carlos answered. Before he got out of the limo, Carlos pressed another button on the wall. "You're in position, Marko?"

"Eye-firmative."

"Excellent. Wait for my signal."

Carlos didn't wait for acknowledgment and exited the limo. He led Mary from behind with his pistol. They arrived on the scene and Deke's men had their sights on Carlos. On the ground was a body that was riddled with gunshots who had at one time been Trip. Deke held his gun at Stretch. Upon seeing the first figure ahead of Carlos, Deke cried out, "Mara! How did you get involved in this?"

(Question of the month.)

Carlos replied before Mary could to say, "Mara has left the building, Deke. Or at least the room. This is your Mary Jane." He nudged her with his gun. "Say hi, Mary."

"Hey, Deke."

"Mary?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Where is Mara?"

"She's still part of me. She's just not in control now."

Carlos interrupted, "You can have your reunion later. As you can see, Deke, we have a deal on the table. Or, rather on the hood of your Mercedes."

Deke gestured to the packages that were in neat stacks inside the case. "If you think I am buying my own product, you are crazy, Carlos."

Carlos made himself sound sarcastic, "Why, what makes you think that is your product, Deke?"

"It has my family's crest on the label. You think I not notice?"

"I was counting on it. I got that direct from my new source."

Deke yelled, "You mean _my _source!"

"Not anymore."

Deke seemed to consider something and asked, "How you get to Olaf in Minsk?"

"Well, it wasn't easy. It took a while too. But, I had help."

"Who?"

"Your own son."

"I not believe you."

"You don't? Well, ask Mary here. She was witness to one of the first conversations Victor and I had about it. And we couldn't have her blab about it, so we had her removed."

Deke's eyes popped. "You arranged her accident? It wasn't the horse?"

"Nope. It was me."

"Just like Mara kept saying," Deke mumbled.

(See, people should listen to me once in a while. My instincts are pretty dead on.)

_Poor word choice there, Mara._

Deke spoke to Carlos. "I teach you everything. Why you treat me this way?"

"I could say it's personal. Or that you run your business the same way they did decades ago. Or that you just need to retire. No, I'm going to go with simple greed."

Deke asked, "What shall we do now?"

Carlos stated, "First, you're going to let go of my second. He may need some attention on his foot since you shot it."

"I let go of him and you let go of Mary."

"Hmm, don't know if that's an even trade, but doable."

Carlos nudged Mary to step forward and Deke's gun was lowered and Stretch started limping.

Mary was frozen with fear and Mara felt it.

(Mary, you have to calm down.)

_Easy for you to say. You've been in these situations before. I haven't._

(Remember that high price I told you about? This is part of it.)

_I know! I get it now. Trust me._

(Just walk normal. Nervousness produces itchy trigger fingers.)

_Great. No pressure._

(Just be patient. I'll tell you when I found our chance to escape.)

_It'd better be quick. I don't think they're gonna let us live no matter what we say._

(Hey, I thought you've never been in this situation before.)

Mary reached to Deke's side and Stretch to Carlos.

Mary looked up at Deke and said as casual as she could, "Hey, darlin'. Long time, no see, huh?"

Deke answered with a smile, "Mary. It is you. Though, I have to say, you pick bad time for reunion."

Mary chuckled in relief, "Yeah, bad timing is the story of my life." She turned around at Carlos and said, "You got what you wanted."

Carlos smiled deviously and sneered, "Not yet. I still have to give Deke his retirement gift. And it's not a gold watch." Carlos then raised his pistol and fired a shot into Deke's stomach.

Mara could sense the anticipation of what was coming next and she screamed a thought to Mary. (Jump over the hood of the car to the other side!)

_What?_

(Do it now!)

**Coming soon: Shootout at the AL Coral**


	13. Shootout At The AL Corral

**Part 12: Shootout At The AL Corral**

There was a fraction of time between Mara's command to Mary to take cover behind Deke's Mercedes and when Carlos whistled his signal to his other armed men hiding. Soon after, chaos reigned.

The first shots from an unknown source came hitting the front of the fallen Deke and then spread to hit the front passenger side of Deke's car. Mary did not have to be told three times to leap on top of the car's hood and dive to the other side. She flipped upside-down almost head first. She would have cracked her head open if not for her outstretched arms holding her palms flat against the hard concrete ground. Immediately upon landing, she scurried behind the driver's side steering wheel to curl up and block herself from gunfire.

Mary spoke to Mara since the deafening sounds of guns firing prevented anyone from wondering why she would be talking to herself. "Did I tell you how much I love that danger sense of yours?"

(Would have been better if you acted quicker! You wouldn't have scratches from the fall!)

"Better to have scratches than bullet holes!"

(True. My stars, your guns are loud! Multiple blaster fire can sound chaotic, but at least you don't go deaf after it! This sounds like mini explosions going off!)

Along with the sound of gunfire came the cries of pain and death from the men involved. Out of the corner of her eye, Mary saw a body fall in front of the car in a death throw courtesy of a high-powered gun. She looked at the lifeless face once it landed on the concrete and recognized it as Nicoli. Soon, the firing became more sporadic and eventually stopped altogether. The cries of pain from various sources continued. What seemed like hours to Mary was actually a few minutes.

Mary whispered, "Think it's ok to look yet?"

(That's your call. You're the one in control now.)

"But you have your Force. What do you feel?"

(Same thing you see and hear. Pain and death.)

Mary stretched out of her curled position and peeked around the edge of the front fender. She was horrified to witness a sea of bodies lying on the ground. Lifeless. All men belonging to either Deke or Carlos. She crawled around to the front of the car and saw Deke in the same position he was when he fell from the wound Carlos gave him. He was lying face up and she was relieved to see his chest rising albeit slowly. She looked into his face which had blood trickling down from his mouth. He looked over at her and Mary swore she saw his face brighten.

"Deke!," she cried out. "Deke, are you ok?"

He coughed and answered hoarsely, "Do I...look...ok?"

She chuckled nervously. "You always were a survivor."

"Heh...not...this time. You...are...survivor. It was good to see you...Mary."

"Good to be seen."

"Thought...I would not see you...again."

"You saw me, Deke. You always did."

"No, I saw Mara."

"It was still me inside. I could still see you when you saw Mara."

"Someday...you have to explain...that one."

"Someday."

"There was always...something about...Mary. You were excellent daught–" Deke ended the sentence abruptly with a sudden cry of sharp pain. His hands were struggling to get to his chest.

"Deke! Deke, what's wrong? You were only shot in the stomach. You can't die from that immediately."

(No, but he can from a heart attack. Probably from the shock.)

"No! Deke!" Her tears spilled on his old brown sports coat. She could see in his eyes that his pain was lessened. Then, ultimately, his expression was blank and his eyes saw no more.

"Deke," she whimpered.

(I'm sorry, Mary.)

"Mary," a weak voice called nearby.

She looked up and saw Kivan lying on his stomach with his head perked up. "Deke?" he whispered.

She merely shook her head slowly. Within the background of the evening, the sounds of sirens appeared. They were distant but they were closing in to their location.

She called out, "Hold on, Kivan. Help is on the way. You're gonna be all right."

As if to finish her sentence, another bang echoed in the night from another weapon. Mary turned away in reaction and when she looked back, Kivan's head was down on the ground with a fresh wound. In the space of her reaction, he was gone too.

"No...he won't be all right," said a familiar voice.

Mary looked up to see Carlos holding his smoking gun out in front of his body. He was limping from a wound to his leg. He went on to say, "I owed Kivan that much. He took out Marko."

The sirens were getting so much closer and Carlos started noticing. "Don't have much time. It is fitting that you and I are the last ones standing. Well, at least, _I'm_ standing. I don't know if Mara can hear me."

"She can."

"I don't know how. But, I wanted to say she was a challenge."

(I usually am.)

Carlos continued. "Too bad only one can be the winner and the other a loser."

(Mary, see Deke's pistol strapped at his waist? Grab it quick.)

Mary did lunge for the gun, but not nearly fast enough to be effective. Carlos caught the move and stopped her. He raised his pistol at her and cried, "No! You don't get the satisfaction."

(Mary, listen to me. Remember the cup in the car? I want you to focus on the gun, and only the gun.)

_But, the cup wasn't comin' at me faster than a speeding train. This is different._

(No! It's not. It's an object just like the cup. It has different molecules that make it up, but the Force can still affect it. Trust me. Just focus, Mary.)

_I...I can't, Mara. I'm too scared._

(Then take that fear and transfer it into courage. Remember your purpose, Mary. If you don't focus on that gun, you will never remember anything ever again.)

Mara's encouragement didn't seem to work on Mary.

When Carlos finally said, "Goodbye, Mary. And Mara," he fired.

Mara suddenly felt Mary's focus on the gun and she used the Force through Mary's concentration. She caught the bullet in her mind but it was traveling too fast. Instead of stopping it, Mara used the Force to slow it down. Visually, it was like watching it in slow motion. The bullet decelerated to the point where, when it did hit Mary in the chest, it did not penetrate. Though it did feel like a rock hitting her and bounced off. There was still pain, but not to the level it would have been if it had been at full speed.

Carlos witnessed this and was bewildered. "How...how did you do that?"

Mary replied emphatically, "The power of a Jedi Master!"

Carlos had no time to make any sense of Mary's strange words. The sounds of sirens were closer and he took a moment to look around a rail container to check to see if the police were there yet. Mary took that small moment to her advantage and quickly grabbed Deke's gun from his waist. She nervously held it pointed at Carlos.

He looked over at her and smiled. "So, you're Mara Jade now? Because, if you are, I would have been dead by now. See, Victor told me a little about Mara's background. An ex-assassin. Those type wouldn't have hesitated like you're doing now. I don't think you are going to fire that."

(Mary...shoot him! He's getting on my nerves.)

_I...I can't._

(Mary, he's right. I would have pulled that trigger as soon as I laid hands on it.)

_That's just it, Mara. I'm _not _you._

(It doesn't matter. If you don't shoot, he will. And he won't miss. It's either him or us. Don't hesitate, Mary. Just do it!)

_You hesitated._

(What? When?)

_With your nephew. All he did was show you an image of your son to make you hesitate for a second. We all know what happened after that._

(Oh, so that's how you want to play it? Two can play that game.)

As the Mary and Carlos stalemate was still in process, another voice entered into the mix.

"Mama?"

Mary recognized that voice instantly. "Benjamin?"

"Mama, please come home. I need you," he pleaded.

Mary looked just past Carlos to see Benjamin Skyler standing facing her.

"Don't worry, hun. I'll be home soon."

Carlos started looking at Mary skeptically, confused as to what Mary was looking at and speaking to. "Is there something there, Mary? Did that coma really mess you up?"

Mary did not hear one word that Carlos said. She was still staring at the figure of her son behind him.

"Mama, you have to do it. He's gonna kill you."

"I can't kill, sweetie."

Benjamin looked sad as he bowed his head to the ground. "Then he has already won."

"No, hun, don't say that."

Carlos finally said, "All right, enough of this charade. You may not kill, but I can." He then turned and aimed his gun at the spot where Mary was looking and fired three shots. They all went through the image of Benjamin and he disappeared.

"No!," Mary screamed. She pulled up Deke's pistol and fired at Carlos.

The impact shook him back on his shoulder and he yelped in pain. But, not too much. He looked at the wound and it was a graze that only allowed a small amount of blood to escape. He chuckled. "I didn't know you had it in you, Mary." He pointed his gun back at her. "My turn."

Before he could fire, Mary squeezed the trigger of Deke's gun again. This time she was greeted to a harmless metallic click. She pressed the trigger several times and still only received empty clicks.

Carlos laughed. "Too bad Deke didn't keep his gun loaded. Time's up. Now, since I was so rudely interrupted by figments of your imagination, I will say again...goodbye Mary and Mara."

He aimed at her and she closed her eyes. She heard several shots ring out into the air. Yet, there was no pain. She opened her eyes to see Carlos swaggering backward from newly placed bullet holes in his chest.

Carlos was looking at something to his left and struggled to utter, "Why...if it isn't...Deke's errand boy." And he collapsed to the ground.

She looked in the same direction as Carlos did and saw Jeremi standing with a smoldering gun in hand. He quickly went to the fallen Carlos and kicked his gun away from the body. Jeremi then bent down to feel the neck.

Mary muttered, "Is he...dead?"

Jeremi stood up and spoke in a serious business-like tone, "Yes, he's gone." He looked over at Mary and his expression turned instantly to joy, "Mary. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Good timin'," she nodded toward the dead Carlos.

"You're telling me. It took us a while to figure out that he would take you here. We thought he would have killed you already. But, since we figured Deke was involved I can see where Carlos would want to use you to gloat."

"Carlos...staged my accident last year."

"We know. I had a bug placed on you when you left my house this morning. We heard you say 'It was you.' before you went down. But, Carlos had to gloat again and he gave us the fact that he staged it and that he used a drug to induce the coma. We got it all on record. He even gave us his source for the drug."

"Dr Markham."

"Right. We'll have to get a warrant for him in the morning."

(Mary, if I were you, before you say anything else, ask him who 'we" is.)

"Yeah, who is 'we', Jeremi?"

Jeremi was finally at a loss for words but was saved by someone calling out his name. Mary looked over and first noticed several police cars and an ambulance parked before them. A gentleman in a business suit continued to call for Jeremi.

Jeremi gave an embarrassed look to Mary and said, "Excuse me, but duty calls."

"What duty? You're an errand boy. Ain't you?"

"We'll talk later, I promise" And he turned to leave and spoke with the gentleman.

(What's up with him?)

"I wish I knew," said Mary, not caring if anyone heard her.

(Nice shooting, by the way.)

"It wasn't much of a shot. I never even held a gun before in my life. I'm sorry I couldn't kill him."

(Don't be, Mary. If anything I should respect your standards. Personally, I wouldn't have the strength to _not_ kill him.)

"Thanks. Nice image of Benjamin, by the way."

(I thought I couldn't do it. I was never good at it in my own galaxy. Luke would have been so proud of me. I'm sorry I had to do it like that.)

"You had to do what you had to do."

(So did you.)

"Tell me you don't need a mental hug."

(I don't if you don't.)

"Let's just leave it as it is."

"Leave what as is?" Jeremi's sudden voice boomed from behind her.

"Whoa! You scared me."

"Who were you talking to?"

"Oh, just Mara," Mary answered plainly.

Jeremi took a moment to stare at her and then say, "Are we going to have further conversations with Mara?"

"For the time bein'. Now, fess up. Who are you really? A simple errand boy couldn't have shot Carlos like that. Are you a cop?"

"No. Think much higher rank." After seeing Mary's confused look, he reached into his pocket and produced a small folded piece of leather. He held it in his hand and unfolded it. It was an official badge with his professional picture. "Mary Jane Skyler, I am Special Agent Owen from the F.B.I."

(F.B.I.?)

_Federal Bureau of Investigations. That's a very high level police force._

(And his name is Owen.)

_So?_

(Luke's uncle was named Owen.)

_Hun, you're reachin' for coincidences, now._ Mary addressed Owen. "So that's your name?"

"Well, yeah. My surname. My first name's still Jeremi."

"Oh. So, what's your story?"

"Pretty much the same as I told you Saturday. With some careful revisions. For your own safety."

"Of course. So, that was the real reason there were no cops that came after we got shot at near your house."

(Good deduction, Mary. I was thinking the same thing.)

He looked embarrassed and admitted, "You got me. It would have blown my cover. Look, there'll be time to tell you all about it. As you can see there's plenty for us to do here. The short version is that I have been undercover ever since I was employed by Deke. We never could get enough on him to make a case even with my help. Until now. Once we got wind that Carlos was planning a take over, we suspected he would try getting in with Deke's source in Minsk. It wasn't until you woke up as Mara when our case had some leverage."

"And you put a bug on me this morning so you could track me?"

"In a sense," Jeremi tried sounding innocent.

"A sense? Usin' me as bait is usin' your sense?"

"It worked, didn't it? And you didn't get killed."

"Almost on both counts. If you hadn't'a come when you did, I would be in a body bag by now."

"That's not true. You don't know–"

"Was I part of your scheme, too?"

"What? No!"

"Well, you were pretendin' to be an errand boy and driver. Who knows what else you were pretendin'."

"No, Mary, it's nothing like that. My feelings for you were not fake. I fell for you since that first day five years ago when you auditioned for Deke as a dancer. The moment you told him you wouldn't go topless was all the moment I needed. I knew I wanted to be with you, but I had my other commitment first. Now that this is all over, we can be together."

Mary hesitated again and slowly admitted, "I'm afraid, Jeremi."

"Mary, you just confronted two of the most powerful crime lords in Mobile and survived. How can you be afraid?"

"I...I'm afraid of you leaving me," she replied softly.

He lifted her chin up with his finger and said sincerely, "Listen to me. I will not leave you. You don't deserve that. I am _not_ Luke Wallace."

"Thank Heavens for that," she said right before she lunged at him to plant a kiss on his lips. He in turn embraced her and accepted her lips on his. After a few moments of their passion, Jeremi forced himself to break away.

"Ok, I have to go. Things I have to do. We can always continue this later."

"Looks like I'm gonna be spendin' some time in Saraland."

"Actually, that's not my home. It was only used for my cover."

"So, where's your real home?"

"Technically, it's Cincinnati, Ohio. Like I said, I tried to tell you as much truth as I could. Including my mother dying. She was the reason I took this job in the first place."

"Ohio. So, you'd be wanting to go back home soon, huh?"

"I don't know. After spending a decade down here undercover with a major Ukraine mafia member, I could just about choose my new position. I think the Mobile Division could use a new recruit. A nice desk job would be good for me. You know...for my stories. Those are real, too."

"And we could write our own story, so to speak."

"You got that right."

"Hey, we can write about Mara. Her story's worth tellin'."

(Please don't immortalize me. I have enough problems.)

Mary smiled. "She's jumpin' about it already."

"She's really in there talking to you?"

"Yep."

"Interesting."

"Agent Owen!" a voice called out.

"Ok, I have to go this time. One of the local Captains will ask a few questions and get your statement."

"I'll have more than one, lemme tell ya."

"I know. That's why you're special."

She scoffed. "Please, I wish I was special."

Jeremi smiled softly and asked, "When are you going to realize that you are twice as special than you believe. And when are you going to believe that's part of why I love you."

Mary shrugged, "Someday." She paused and asked, "Wait, did you say what I think you did?"

"I believe I did."

"Could you repeat that, cuz I didn't get the gist the first time."

"I love you, Mary Jane Skyler." They had a small moment to cherish before the same voice called out his name. "Sorry, I really have to go now." He parted ways from her and she watched dreamily after him.

(You have something special there, Mary.)

_Ya think?_

(I _know_. You're lucky.)

As if on cue, the coroners were putting the body of Deke inside a thick bag and zipped it up. They carried it in front of Mary. _Some weren't so lucky._

(Deke made his decisions, Mary. He kept you around to remind him of an innocence he once had himself. He chose his path. The same way you are choosing yours now. You have strength that you don't know you had.)

_I know now. Thanks to you._

(Me? What did I do?)

_You showed me my purpose. Literally._

(Glad I could help. Now if I can only find out my purpose in all of this.)

_What do you mean?_

(Your problem is solved. Yet, I'm still here inside your mind.)

_Guess you'll just have to be more patient._

(My husband used to tell me that all the time. Stang, I wish I could see him now.)

_You will, Mara. You will._

**Coming Soon–Part 13: Such A Long Time To Be Gone...**


	14. Such A Long Time To Be Gone

**Part 13: Such A Long Time To Be Gone...**

It takes time to straighten out chaos. For Mary Jane Skyler, that time brought her many changes in her life.

Over the several hours after the shootout between the men of Deke and Carlos, Mary had been taken to the downtown Mobile precinct for more questions which lasted through the early morning and into midday. The local police and Federal agents bombarded Mary with questions and endless recounts of the events leading up to the present. Pretty soon she was rehashing the same events up to the shootout so often that when yet another Federal agent asked her to go over it again, she reached her sanity limit.

"How about I just write all of this down on paper and make copies for y'all?"

The agent went about his questions humorlessly.

Finally, Jeremi Owen waltzed into the briefing room where they kept Mary. He might as well have been wearing shiny armor. He bent down on one knee in front of her and her blood froze for a second.

"You ready to get out of here?"

Mary felt a mix of relief and a small amount of regret and stumbled to reply, "I...ok. What time is it?"

"Just past noon. You've been here for seven solid hours. I called your mother. I think she's gathering a welcoming party for you. She kept Ben home from school. I'm sure she has some food for you."

"Food? What's that? Oh yeah, that stale McMuffin I attempted to eat this mornin'. I was hoping we could have lunch together."

"I was thinking more like breakfast in bed in my new temporary residence."

"They got you an apartment already?"

"No, I have to do that. In the meantime, they put me up in the Ritz-Carlton downtown."

"Oh my."

(I take it that's a fancy place.)

"You better believe it," Mary muttered.

"What was that?" asked a confused Jeremi.

"Oh, nothing."

"Still talking to Mara? She's still here?"

(She isn't going anywhere else anytime soon.)

"For now," Mary answered. "Breakfast in bed sounds nice, but I need to take a rain check. I want to see my family first. Ya know, after I thought I was never gonna see them ever again last night."

"Understood. I can drive you."

"Wait, my car! It's still at Carlos's house."

"No. When we infiltrated it last night they were already gone. We found your car in his garage covered with a tarp. The tags had been trashed, but I knew it was yours."

"How?"

"Grateful Dead cd in the player."

"Oh yeah."

"Anyway, I got a young recruit to drive it to your house with an escort so he could come back here. I think I made his year by asking him to drive a black Mustang. Oh, and the government will pay for new tags."

"How generous. Well, I'm hungry. Let's go."

They left the small room and headed to the exit. Along the way a man came running around a corner obviously late from lunch. He didn't look at where he was going and he ran into Mary.

"Excuse me, I'm sor–" He stopped in mid sentence when he saw who he bumped into.

"Mara!"

"Actually, it's Mary again. Hey Doug."

"Hi. Mary. I heard about what happened to you last night. That must have been awful."

"Please don't make me rehash it again."

"No, I suspect you've already repeated it several times with our police and the Feds involved. They've got me running tests on that drug you were given last year. They're just bringing in the Doc now."

"Dr. Markham?" Mary confirmed and Doug nodded.

(Don't think he'll be an official doctor for much longer.)

Doug replied to Mary, "Yes." He looked at Jeremi. "Are you the Fed who was undercover with Deke's group all that time?"

"That's me. Who are you?"

"Doug Tanner. I work forensics here." He looked down to notice Jeremi and Mary's hands intertwined. "Well, I see that I'm interrupting you two. I guess I'll see you around, Mary." Doug had the intention of walking away from the sight of Mary with someone else. Mara felt his heartache and called out to Mary.

(Stop him and give him some encouragement, Mary. He feels dejected.)

Mary let go of Jeremi's hand and called after Doug. "Hey, I wanted to thank you for your help. Mara actually did get a clue from the pictures."

Doug brightened and asked, "Really? What clue?"

Mary held up her left hand as if she were being sworn in at court. "I'm left handed."

Realization came across Doug's face as he cried, "You were hit on the left side. Of course. Brilliant. I didn't even think of that."

"You can't think of everything."

"Or have everything," he said while eying Jeremi.

Mary looked at Doug with a dash of pity and said softly, "I'm sorry it didn't work out with us, Doug. There's someone out there for you. You never know, a person who you thought was a bad penny may be a shiny one."

"What about you and Luke?"

"Well, sometimes a bad penny actually _is_ a bad penny. That's the risk, Doug." She reached closer to him and kissed him on the cheek. "You'll be all right."

Doug smiled and got the hint. "Thanks, Mary." He slowly turned and left to go back to his work.

She rejoined Jeremi by the hand and he smiled at her and glowed.

"What?" she asked him innocently.

"Are you sweet like that to all of your exes?"

"Oh, you ain't seen me and Luke together yet."

He nodded wordlessly and they continued to walk hand in hand toward the exit. Through the precinct, Jeremi received a scattering of praise from officers for his work undercover. He took them modestly. They turned at the last corner that led to the exit and saw the sight of Dr. Steve Markham getting processed after being arrested by two uniformed cops. He had already worn the look of embarrassment from being involved with Carlos. Upon sight of Mary coming around the corner his face went white from fear.

"Mara. Look, I know how this looks, but you don't understa–"

"Shut it, Doc! It's Mary Jane now."

"You...you've returned. And Mara is no more?"

"Can't say that. She's still here. You just have to deal with me now."

He could not hide his relief and Mara detected it.

(I don't believe he thinks you're much of a challenge, Mary.)

Mary approached the Doctor as the cops were taking off his cuffs. "Why are you relieved that it's me and not Mara? You don't think I have anything to say about your deception over me and the fact that you helped put me in a coma?"

"That wasn't intentional."

"Maybe not. But your drug didn't help matters any."

Jeremi came from behind Mary to grab her shoulder. "Come on, Mary. This isn't a good idea."

Dr. Markham smiled devilishly and said, "Don't bother. Mary Jane doesn't have the guts to exact revenge. That was Mara's way, not yours, Mary."

Mary's anger made her form a fist in her left hand and she ran up to the doctor and swung it across his face. "Don't be too sure," she cried.

(Nice hook.)

_Learned it from you._

(Don't make me your role model.)

_Maybe for some things._

The two cops scurried to catch the doctor from Mary's blow and they carried him off around the corner and disappeared.

Jeremi faced Mary head on and cried, "Mary, are you all right?"

"I am now. But, ow, that hurt." She shook her hand to expel any excess pain.

"I'm sure. Is it out of your system now?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Just admiring. Sweet and innocent one minute and tough and full of rage the next. Sounds like someone else I knew who was in control of your body."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Besides, I thought you wanted control of my body now."

(If you start speaking like that, I'm going to scream from inside your head.)

Mary wisely didn't say anything else and Jeremi took her home. There already were several cars and one rusted vehicle that had once been a truck parked in front of her driveway. Under the carport was her black Mustang.

"Nice to see it's in good condition."

"Another day and it would have been repainted. Maybe a bright green."

"Ugh. Thank god you got to it in time."

"You know, I'll understand if you'd want another car. All the memories of Deke giving it to you..."

"No way. I'm keeping my Mustang. It's because of those memories, Jeremi. Something to remember Deke with."

"I can't argue. I have an old tattered blanket that my mom gave me and I will never part with it."

They went inside together and were greeted by a group of people welcoming her home safe. Emma had been busy inviting all of her family, friends, and neighbors and made it into a welcoming party. Mary had never felt so honored in her life before that moment. Among the guests, her joy was elevated by one in particular. Standing in the doorway that linked the family room to the kitchen was her purpose.

When Mary spotted Benjamin Skyler, she hesitated.

_That's really him, right?_

(Yes, Mary. No Force illusions this time. Go to him. He needs you.)

_No. I need him._

Mary made a beeline towards her son as she opened her arms to him. He did likewise to her. Mary cried out, "Oh, hun, I'm sorry if I seemed distant the last few years."

"A few?"

"Ok, several. Since you were born, in fact. After what your father did what he did, I didn't know what to do. I was too afraid to leave or stay. I was confused." She pulled him in front of her. "But, now I'm not. Things are gonna be different."

"Cuz you got a new guy?"

Mary laughed, "Well, yeah, but that's not all. Things are gonna be different with us. Between you and me, Ben. I'm gonna pay more attention to you."

"You ain't workin' at that club no more?"

"No. I'm done with that place. No more danger or adventures."

"What'll you do then?"

"I don't know, sweetie. But, I promise it'll be somethin' on first shift so we can spend more time together. Would you like that?"

"Well, daddy–"

Mara could feel Mary's heart sink at that word. Mara tried to give her reassurance through the Force that Mary incorrectly thought that Ben would choose his father over her. It didn't work.

"Your daddy what?"

"Well, he was planning on taking me hunting next week, and I–"

"Hunting?" Mary stood straight up and demanded, "Where is that rat Luke?" She started walking among the crowd without noticing Benjamin was tailing her trying to get her attention. She reached the kitchen and spotted her ex.

"Of course, he's in there stuffing his face." She approached him as he entered a whole deviled egg into his mouth. "What do you mean takin' our son hunting with guns at age eleven?"

Luke could only reply for the moment, "Miph phumph umph phoof."

"Please say that again without egg in your mouth."

Luke swallowed and said plainly, "I thought it'd be a hoot. By the way, welcome back, Mary. I'm guessin' Mara is off far away into space by now."

"No, she's nearby. What makes you think I'm lettin' him go hunting with you next weekend?"

"Hey, my daddy taught me when I was his age."

"Your daddy also shot his best friend accidently during one of those hunting expeditions."

"Heh...guess your memory's back. And hey, he only went to jail for six weeks. By the time Bubba got out of the hospital he dropped all charges."

"I don't care, Luke. He ain't going hunting."

"Mom!" cried Ben.

"No, hun, I don't want you touching a real gun."

"Good, cuz I don't wanna."

"Now, don't talk back to–what?"

"I've been trying to tell you. I don't want to go hunting. I never wanted to go to paint ball. I thought we could go to Fun Time instead."

"Fun Time?"

"Yeah, we can race go-carts."

Mary was forced to laugh and she asked, "Well, why didn't you say so, honey?"

(He did try.)

_Did I ask for your input?_

(You got it anyway.)

Benjamin explained, "Didn't you realize that I was doing all those things with dad because they were things you hated me to do? I was just tryin' to get your attention."

"Oh," Mary said feeling blushed in embarrassment.

Luke became annoyed. "Spike, you mean to tell me you hated all those things we did together? I thought you at least liked paint ball."

"I was never good at it, daddy. Plus, those things hurt when they hit you."

"Well, that hurts, Spike."

"And, daddy, my name is Benjamin. Spike's a dog's name."

Mary had never been so proud of her son more than that moment.

(Never heard him talk like that before?)

_Nope. Never before now._

(You just witnessed his first step into adulthood.)

_Scary._

(Yes, it is.)

The party lasted until mid afternoon and people started leaving. Luke had already left in a huff from his son's comments to him. Jeremi tried to introduce himself to Luke, but only received an unceremonious grunt as a greeting before he left in his rust bucket.

"Lively fellow," Jeremi commented.

"You don't know the half of it," Emma added.

"Hey, ya think you can put him in one of your mysteries?" Mary asked. "He could be the one who gets killed with tons of suspects."

"I think I can arrange that."

Cassie came up to Mary hesitantly with something on her mind. "I overheard you say you ain't goin' back to the club no more?"

"Nope. I need to broaden my horizons."

"Any idea as to what you want to do?"

"Not really. Why?"

"Well, I was thinking. Daddy's about to need a new trainer come fall. He's got a snot-nosed college kid doing it now, and he has to go back to South Alabama this coming semester at the end of this month."

"Training? As in horses?"

"Unless you want to train Daddy, and I ain't saying that's an easy job neither."

"Well, I got no experience at it, Cass."

"You can learn. You have a passion with those horses. I seen it. You got a helluva lot more heart than that college kid has in it. What d'ya say?"

"Cassie, that'd be my dream job. Thank you."

"Great. I'll have daddy call ya this week."

After Cassie left, the group was reduced to Mary's immediate family and Jeremi. The new couple sat on the family room couch cuddled together. Emma looked on and asked her daughter, "So, how does it feel gettin' everything you wanted?"

Mary supplied with, "And I didn't even know what I wanted before my coma. Luke did such a job in messin' up my confidence that I didn't know what to do."

Emma suggested, "And Mara Jade changed all that?"

Mary considered, "I wouldn't say she changed me. I did all the changin' myself. Mara did point me in the right direction."

"Is she still with you? I mean...in here?" Emma pointed to her head.

""Yeah, she is. She's quiet now. Bless her heart. She's been through some tough times that you guys don't know the half of. She once was tryin' to kill her husband."

"You do that everyday," Emma joked.

"Nah, this was years before they were married. And she was to kill him as part of a contract on him. She was an assassin, ya know. They married a decade or so later, but soon after, she was poisoned and didn't know if she was going to live or die. She had her son, who in effect, saved her life. Literally. Then the real kicker was when her own nephew poisoned her–"

Jeremi exclaimed, "She was poisoned _twice_?"

"Yep," Mary continued, "'Cept, she didn't survive the second poisoning. That's how her spirit came here into me. My Lord, that was a month and a half ago."

"Seems like longer," Emma reflected.

"Sounds like Mara hasn't had any breaks in life."

"Oh, she has. Her husband and her son. But, since she's been here, she was always afraid she'd never see them again."

Jeremi stated, "Maybe she'll get what she wants soon."

Mara uttered sincerely, "I hope so."

That night, after all had gone to bed and Mary kissed her Knight a good night and they made plans for future breakfasts in bed, Mary tried to fall asleep while she was still wired from the day's events. The main reason for her lack of sleep was her feeling of frustration seeping from Mara Jade.

"Mara," Mary whispered, "are you all right?"

(What? Me? I'm fine. I'm just watching you have your happy ending while all I can do is comment on the sidelines. I'm kriffing fantastic!)

"I know, hun."

(I never asked what was in it for me because usually the question gains you nothing. There was a time in my life when I didn't care what the reward was. Now that I know what I've lost and the cost I paid to lose them, that reward is worth more to me than any amount of money or credits in the universe.)

"So, your problem is that you don't know why you're still in my mind and not on your way to your galaxy by now."

(Thank you, Ms. Obvious.)

"I just wanted to be clear." Mary sat deep in thought a moment and stated, "I guess you have to believe you're in your own galaxy."

(And how do I do that? I can't exactly die again.)

"Maybe your Force will tell you something?"

(Mary, you are something else.)

"Well, look who I'm sharin' my mind with. You, Space Girl, are the most intelligent woman I ever met. And you're fun, too."

(Wish my husband could hear you say that.)

"Well, stop wishing and do it! Ain't that part of your philosophy?"

(Tell me you're not quoting back Jedi credo to me.)

"No. I'm just sayin', Mara, maybe it's time you find _your_ purpose. Maybe that will send you home."

(Maybe. It's definitely something to think about.)

Mary yawned. "Let's think about it tomorrow. It's too late to be thinkin' this deep."

(You're right. You've been through so much in the last twenty-four hours, I 'll let you sleep.)

"Thank you." Mary allowed a pause before she softly added, "Mara, remember that you were there for me saving my life in every way possible. Whenever you need me, I'll be there. We can work on this together. We're a part of each other now, Space Girl."

(You don't know how much that means to me, Mary. No matter what you tell yourself, Mary, believe that you are special.)

It was too late. Mary had already succumbed to sleep. Mara followed soon after.

And they dreamed.

_The sudden brightness hurt. The quiet serenity was eminent. Nothing could hurt the past here. Nor the future. Nor the present. Time was all one here. The convergence. Infinity at the apex._

_She walked aimlessly though fog. She was floating to her purpose._

_The main event had been solved. Time for reward. She hovered to stop at an expansive gate. The patron beside it was guarding. He looked up at her and uttered a strange phrase._

"_Formatia trans sicere educatorum."_

_Willingly, she entered. She needed knowledge. Up ahead in the distance, there was a shimmering light. She approached it, noting that it shone upon a small table. A dinner plate was set on the table. The covered dish was best served cold. She lifted the cover to the meal._

_It was the finest the Empire could offer. Remembrance refilled her soul. How long ago had she obtained it? How many missions had it been on? What could make her sacrifice it to her purpose? She reached for it and touched its cold metallic skin. The beacon was still active. She held it carefully._

_Then came the voices. One by one. Each one different. Yet, each message the same. Save for one._

_Palpatine, "Remember to remember..."_

_Deke, "Remember to remember..."_

_Luke Skywalker, "Remember to remember..."_

_Ben Skywalker, "I remembered to remember...the blade."_

_She looked up with blade still in hand._

_Mary stated, "The message is not yours to follow. It is for you to believe._

"_Ben," she stated. "Ben will remember. Ben will remember the blade._ _Ben will remember the blade._ _Ben will remember the blade._ _Ben will remember the blade._ _Ben will remember the blade._ _Ben will remember the blade._" _On and on she went, repeating. _

_Then she stopped. And _believed_. _

"_He _did _remember the blade._"

_Suddenly, the room dissolved into blackness. She was in Death's home. The Sunless Sea. Was she to be greeted? Was she to finally have peace? She looked down at her borrowed body and found it to be transparent. Fading. She felt herself floating into a vast empty space. The feeling sustained itself for what seemed like an eternity._

_Until, just as suddenly as it started, she found herself solid in a confined area. Beeps and whistles were heard._

_Then came a voice. So real. So...there._

_She opened her eyes. _

"GA Stealth X Five-Alpha...are you there? Come in. This is Hapan Fleet Ops."

"Y...yes?" she spoke. She could _talk_. So real.

"_You_ alerted _us_. Is there a problem? We usually don't like surprises, even from allies."

"I..I'll have to get back to you. I'm a little dizzy."

"Probably you hit a hyperspace pocket. Hit one and you can become disoriented. Do you need medical assistance?"

"No. I'm all right. Just a little stunned."

"Understood. Oh, wow. Your ship's ident code just came in. Is this for real? Are you Mara Jade Skywalker?"

The name repeated back at her was recognized by the outsider. "Yes. But...please, let me get my bearings first."

"Anything you need. Ops out."

She looked around at the cockpit of the Stealth X. Her hand was on the throttle. She breathed and felt air coming out from her mouth. She lifted her hand to her hair. She noted the color. Red-gold. She also noted something metallic on her finger.

Her wedding ring.

She looked down at her waist and saw buckled to her belt, her lightsaber.

She almost laughed in relief. "It's real. This isn't a dream. Mary...I did it! _We_ did it!"

She paused so she could hear herself proclaim, "I'm back. And I'm alive!"

* * *

**Epilogue **

Mary Jane Skyler knew as soon as she lifted her head up from her pillow the next morning. She was herself completely. Perhaps for the first time ever in her life. She didn't have to ask her mind to check for an additional voice. She knew it was no longer there.

_Damn, why did I have to be so convincin'?_

She lifted her small frame from her bed and went over to her long mirror. The figure looking back at her was Mary Jane Skyler in full detail. Yet, it was a different version of herself than she remembered before her coma. Eleven years ago she had allowed the actions of a dim-witted scum of a man take away her dignity. Her self-confidence was replaced with pity for herself. She had to get a job with Russian mob boss to feel alive. She had a son who she hardly knew.

And then came the coma.

And therefore, Mara Jade.

Mara helped Mary gain her dignity back. For that, Mary would always be truly grateful.

That sparked something that Mary needed at that moment. She went over to her portable stereo and chose a compact disc specifically. She pressed play.

As _Box Of Rain _began, Mary looked back at her reflection. Her true self. She then answered her own question. _I was convincing to Mara how to leave because that's what friends do for each other._ _It was Mara's turn to be happy again._

She smiled and said aloud, "I _am_ kriffing special."

She started singing along as she dressed. The smell of her Mama's bacon beckoned her. The song was almost over when she hit stop. Walking down the hall, she sang the last line to the song a cappella.

"'Such a long, long time to be gone, and a short time to be there.'" She paused at the entrance to her kitchen with a small tear in her eye. She muttered, "Thank you, Mara Jade Skywalker."

**THE END...OF VOLUME II**

**COMING SOON...**

**VOLUME III - THE PURPOSE OF MARA JADE SKYWALKER**


End file.
